Movement control method, movement manipulation apparatus, and method for manipulating movement of moving body

ABSTRACT

In a movement control apparatus manipulation can be carried out while watching the movement of the moving body, without needing to watch one&#39;s hands, so even a novice operator can perform the manipulation easily, safely, reliably, and quickly. The apparatus can include a signal transmission cable, a casing of a manipulation remote controller disposed at one end of the cable, a rotary encoder that produces a signal corresponding to the direction of the casing, and a motor drive control circuit that is disposed on the other side of the cable and controls the movement of a moving body on the basis of a signal corresponding to the direction of the casing. The signal corresponding to the direction of the casing can be supplied from the rotary encoder, through the cable, to the motor drive control circuit. Therefore, the operator can hold down a manipulation switch without looking at his hands and thereby adjust the direction of the casing of the manipulation remote controller while looking at the movement direction of a load.

This application claims the priority benefit under 35 U.S.C. §120 and isa Divisional of co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/527,421filed on Dec. 17, 2009, which application is a U.S. national phasefiling under 35 U.S.C. §371 of PCT Application No. PCT/JP2008/000226,filed Feb. 14, 2008, and claims priority thereto under 35 U.S.C. §119 toJapanese patent application no. 2007-034170, filed Feb. 14, 2007, theentireties of all of which are incorporated by reference herein.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The presently disclosed subject matter relates to a technique formanipulating the movement of a moving body, and more particularlyrelates to a movement control method, movement manipulation apparatus,movement manipulation method, and so forth, with which the movement of amoving body can be manipulated easily, safely, reliably, and quickly,even by a novice operator.

Definitions and interpretations of the terms used in the presentlydisclosed subject matter are listed below.

(1) “Remote” is an abbreviation for a remote controller in the sense ofan apparatus for remote manipulating, remote controlling, or other suchmanipulations, or an abbreviation for a remote control in the sense ofan apparatus for remote manipulate, remote controlling, or other suchmanipulations. A difference in signal transmission method (wirelessversed wired) does not affect the definition or interpretation of“remote” unless otherwise specified.

(2) Unless otherwise specified, “three-dimensional direction” refers toup, down, right, left, forward, and backward, or to east, west, north,south, up, and down.

(3) “Three-dimensional movement apparatus” refers to an apparatuscapable of relatively moving an object in three-dimensional directions.Apparatus that are capable of relative movement (self-propulsion) inthree-dimensional directions, or apparatus equipped with constituentmembers that are capable of relative movement in three-dimensionaldirections are encompassed by the term “three-dimensional movementapparatus” regardless of whether or not an object that does notconstitute the apparatus (such as something being conveyed, like cargoor a cargo bed) is capable of relative movement in three-dimensionaldirections. Specific examples of a “three-dimensional movementapparatus” include cranes such as overhead cranes, vehicle-mountedcranes, and jib cranes, conveyance robots equipped with a conveyance armfor grasping or carrying objects, hoists (including self-propelledhoists), and radio-controlled airplanes and helicopters.

(4) Specific examples of “lifting devices” include the winders of craneapparatus, the drive motors of conveyance arms used in conveyancerobots, the booms used in hoists, and the main rotors of helicopters.

(5) “Moving body” refers to an object that is moved relatively inthree-dimensional directions by a three-dimensional movement apparatus.If the apparatus is capable of relative movement (self-propulsion) inthree-dimensional directions, the apparatus itself corresponds to the“moving body,” and if the apparatus is equipped with a constituentmember that is capable of relative movement in three-dimensionaldirections, that constituent member corresponds to the “moving body.”Specific examples of this “moving body” include objects that can bemoved relatively in three-dimensional directions by thethree-dimensional movement apparatus, the hooks of crane apparatus, theconveyance arms (or the grasping component, carrying component, or otherportion thereof corresponding to a cargo bed) for grasping or carryingobjects in a conveyance robot, hoist buckets (decks), and helicopterfuselages.

(6) A “movement mechanism” is a mechanism for moving a moving body, andencompasses the prime mover of a lifting device. If the moving bodymoves in three-dimensional directions, the X-axis motor, Y-axis motor,and Z-axis motor that make this movement possible correspond to the“movement mechanism.”

(7) The “direction” in the “direction of the manipulation remotecontroller casing” may be an absolute direction or a relative direction,unless otherwise specified. For example, it may be the absolutedirection in which the manipulation remote controller casing is actuallyfacing, or it may correspond to the “direction of the manipulationremote controller casing, and a direction determined relatively byshifting the orientation of the casing from a direction based on areference (which may be either a fixed, immutable direction or adirection that itself is variable) also corresponds to this.

(8) The term “manipulation remote controller” may sometimes beabbreviated as “manipulation remote.” The term “manipulation remotecontroller casing” may sometimes be abbreviated as “remote casing.” Theterm “direction of the manipulation remote controller casing” maysometimes be abbreviated as “direction of the remote casing” or“direction of the manipulation remote.”

BACKGROUND ART

As shown in Patent Document 1, for example, an overhead crane that isinstalled in the ceiling of a factory or the like comprises a girder,which has a winder capable of lateral movement, spanning the distancebetween a pair of saddles that roll over parallel travel rails set upnear the ceiling of the building. This winder can be an electric hoistthat uses a cable as a winding support, an electric chain block thatuses a load chain, or the like. Slinging equipment connected to a loadis hung from a hook provided to a hook block suspended from the winder,and the load is moved by the overhead crane to the desired location.

Such overhead cranes are conventionally manipulated by successivelypressing the six buttons (east, west, north, south, up, and down) on awired remote apparatus hanging down from the winder, but when the loadis large, there is the possibility that the load hanging from the winderwill come into contact with the person manipulating the wired remoteapparatus hanging down form the winder, which poses safety problems.

To solve this problem, remote apparatus that are operated wirelesslyhave been developed, such as the crane-use optical remote apparatusdisclosed in Patent Document 2. This crane-use optical remote apparatusis more practical because it makes use of two or more light receptorsthat have wide-angle light receiving characteristics and are disposedunder the winder main body, which deals with the problem thatconventional wireless remote apparatus that makes use of radio wavestends to drive up the cost, and while costs can be easily reduced withan optical remote apparatus, if there is something that blocks light,the signals cannot be sent or received.

-   Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No.    2004-75284-   Patent Document 2: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open NO.    H11-106179

SUMMARY

However, with a wired type of remote apparatus, putting aside wirelesstypes for the moment, when used for an overhead crane or the like thatis used in a painting plant or the like, the push buttons on the remoteapparatus can become soiled by paint and so forth, making it difficultto read the words (east, west, north, south, up, and down) written onthe buttons, and since the operator is typically looking at the remoteapparatus while pressing the buttons and manipulating the apparatus, hecannot watch the movement of the load being conveyed by the overheadcrane, which not only makes it difficult to perform the work quickly andreliably, but also poses the risk that the operator of the remoteapparatus may not notice if the load gets too close.

If the soiling of the remote apparatus is severe, even a veteranoperator may have to test the buttons by pressing them first to seewhich direction the load hanging from the winder moves, after which hecan perform the actual conveyance work. Furthermore, if the operator isa novice, he will not instantly be able to tell which way is east, west,north, or south, so a problem is that the work cannot be performedquickly and reliably.

The above problems are not unique to overhead cranes, which are examplesof three-dimensional movement apparatuses, and also occur with otherthree-dimensional movement apparatus. Also, These problems are notunique to three-dimensional movement apparatus, and also occur withother types of movement apparatus that feature a remote apparatus. Norare they unique to the technological field of painting, and also occurin other technological fields in which there is the risk of soiling ofthe push buttons of the remote apparatus. Nor are they unique to workthat is performed indoors in a factory, and are even more apt to beencountered outdoors. Using a remote apparatus to manipulate themovement of a moving body is generally not an easy task for an unskillednovice to carry out safely, reliably, and quickly or efficiently.

According to an aspect of the presently disclosed subject matter, andapparatus can be provided to solve at least one of the above-mentionedproblems and to provide a technique with which the operator of amanipulation remote need not look at his hands, and can insteadmanipulate the movement of a moving body while watching the movement, sothat even a novice can perform the task safely, reliably, and quickly orefficiently, and more particularly, a movement control method, amovement manipulation apparatus, a movement manipulation method, and soforth that make such manipulation possible.

The movement control method pertaining to a first mode of the presentlydisclosed subject matter is a movement control method for manipulatingthe movement of a moving body, wherein a manipulation remote controllerand a movement mechanism for moving a moving body are disposedrespectively at one end and the other end of a slender member, and thedrive of the movement mechanism is controlled on the basis of a signalrelated to a direction of a casing of the manipulation remotecontroller.

The movement control method pertaining to a second mode of the presentlydisclosed subject matter is the method pertaining to the first mode,wherein the direction of the manipulation remote controller casing is adirection, determined with respect to the slender member or determinedusing the slender member as a reference.

The movement control method pertaining to a third mode of the presentlydisclosed subject matter is the method pertaining to the first or secondmode, wherein the signal is supplied, through a signal transmissioncable that either is the slender member or is disposed within theslender member, from the manipulation remote controller to the drivecontrol apparatus that controls the drive of the movement mechanism.

The movement control method pertaining to a fourth mode of the presentlydisclosed subject matter is a movement control method for manipulatingthe movement of a moving body, wherein a manipulation remote controllerand a movement mechanism for moving a moving body are disposedrespectively at one end and the other end of a slender member thateither is a signal transmission cable or is equipped with a signaltransmission cable, a signal related to the direction of the casing ofthe manipulation remote controller is supplied to a drive controlapparatus that controls the drive of the movement mechanism, a controlsignal is produced on the basis of the signal in part of the drivecontrol apparatus, whereby the drive of the movement mechanism iscontrolled on the basis of the control signal in the rest of the drivecontrol apparatus.

The movement control method pertaining to a fifth mode of the presentlydisclosed subject matter is the method pertaining to the fourth mode,wherein the control signal is supplied through the signal transmissioncable from part of the drive control apparatus to the rest of the drivecontrol apparatus.

The movement control method pertaining to a sixth mode of the presentlydisclosed subject matter is the method pertaining to any of the first tofifth modes, wherein the signal is a signal related to the direction ofthe casing, which is rotatably attached to the slender member.

The movement manipulation apparatus pertaining to a seventh mode of thepresently disclosed subject matter comprises a slender member thateither is a signal transmission cable or is equipped with a signaltransmission cable, a casing of a manipulation remote controllerdisposed at one end of the slender member, casing directionidentification means for producing a signal related to the direction ofthe casing, and a drive control apparatus that is disposed at the otherend of the slender member and controls the movement of a moving body onthe basis of the signal, wherein the signal is supplied, through thesignal transmission cable, from the casing direction identificationmeans to the drive control apparatus.

As a derivative mode of the seventh mode (mode 7A), the apparatuscomprises a slender member that either is a signal transmission cable oris equipped with a signal transmission cable, a casing of a manipulationremote controller disposed at one end of the slender member, casingdirection identification means for producing a signal related to thedirection of the casing, a movement mechanism that is disposed at theother end of the slender member and moves the moving body, and a drivecontrol apparatus that controls the movement of the movement mechanismon the basis of the signal, wherein the signal is supplied through thesignal transmission cable to the drive control apparatus.

The movement manipulation apparatus pertaining to an eighth mode of thepresently disclosed subject matter is the apparatus pertaining to theseventh mode or mode 7A, wherein the casing is rotatably attached to theslender member, and the casing direction identification means is meansfor producing a signal related to the direction of the casing,determined with respect to the slender member or determined using theslender member as a reference.

The movement manipulation apparatus pertaining to a ninth mode of thepresently disclosed subject matter is the apparatus pertaining to theseventh mode (or mode 7A) or eighth mode, comprising display means fordisplaying the direction of the casing with respect to the slendermember at a location that is easily visible by an operator who holds thecasing in a hand and remotely manipulates the movement of the movingbody.

The method for the manipulating movement of the moving body pertainingto a tenth mode of the presently disclosed subject matter is a method ofwhich the apparatus is a method using an apparatus pertaining to any ofthe seventh to ninth modes (including mode 7A), comprising a step ofmoving a moving body to a desired location by changing the direction ofthe casing with respect to the slender member or changing the directionusing the slender member as a reference.

The method for manipulating movement of a moving body pertaining to theeleventh mode of the presently disclosed subject matter is a method inwhich the movement manipulation apparatus pertaining to the ninth modeis used, comprising a step of moving the moving body to the desiredlocation by visually confirming the direction of the casing with respectto the slender member displayed on the display means, while relativelychanging the direction of the casing with respect to the slender member.

The three-dimensional movement apparatus pertaining to the twelfth modeof the presently disclosed subject matter comprises a movement mechanismequipped with a Z axis motor for moving a moving body in the up and downdirection by means of a lifting device, and an X axis motor and a Y axismotor for moving the moving body in the horizontal plane; a motor drivecontrol circuit for driving at least one of the X axis motor, the Y axismotor, and the Z axis motor and for moving the moving body to thedesired location; and a manipulation remote that has a casing directionidentification means for detecting the direction of the remote casing, amanipulation switch that is built into the remote casing and controlsthe X axis motor and/or the Y axis motor by means of the above-mentionedmotor drive control circuit so that the remote casing is movedhorizontally in the direction in which it is facing, and an up and downswitch that is built into the remote casing and raises or lowers themoving body, and which communicates with the motor drive control circuitby exchanging data about the direction of the remote casing detected bythe casing direction identification means and data about whether or notthe manipulation switch or the up and down switch has been operated.

The three-dimensional movement apparatus pertaining to the thirteenthmode of the presently disclosed subject matter is the apparatuspertaining to the twelfth mode, wherein communication between themanipulation remote and the motor drive control circuit is carried outby wired communication using a communication cable that connects themanipulation remote and the motor drive control circuit.

The three-dimensional movement apparatus pertaining to the fourteenthmode of the presently disclosed subject matter is the apparatuspertaining to the thirteenth mode, wherein the communication cablecomprises a communication wire enclosed in a bendable, non-twist cabletube, and the casing direction identification means comprises a rotaryencoder provided inside a rotary connector that rotatably connects theremote casing to the lower end of the cable tube.

The three-dimensional movement apparatus pertaining to the fifteenthmode of the presently disclosed subject matter is the apparatuspertaining to the fourteenth mode, wherein the rotary encoder is anabsolute encoder.

The three-dimensional movement apparatus pertaining to the sixteenthmode of the presently disclosed subject matter is the apparatuspertaining to the twelfth mode, wherein communication between themanipulation remote and the motor drive control circuit is carried outby wireless communication using a receiver connected to the motor drivecontrol circuit and a transmitter provided to the manipulation remote,and the casing direction identification means is a gyro means enclosedin the remote casing.

The three-dimensional movement apparatus pertaining to the seventeenthmode of the presently disclosed subject matter is the apparatuspertaining to the sixteenth mode, wherein the wireless communication isperformed by a radio wave communication apparatus.

The three-dimensional movement apparatus pertaining to the eighteenthmode of the presently disclosed subject matter is the apparatuspertaining to the seventeenth mode, wherein the wireless communicationis performed by an optical communication apparatus.

The three-dimensional movement apparatus pertaining to the nineteenthmode of the presently disclosed subject matter is the apparatuspertaining to any of the sixteenth to eighteenth modes, wherein the Xaxis motor and/or the Y axis motor and/or the Z axis motor is actuatedand the moving body is moved to a specific home position by turning onthe main power supply to the movement mechanism in a state in which theremote casing of the manipulation remote is facing a specific homedirection.

The three-dimensional movement apparatus pertaining to the twentiethmode of the presently disclosed subject matter is the apparatuspertaining to any of the twelfth to nineteenth modes, wherein a secondmanipulation switch is provided to the face of the remote casing on theopposite side from the face where the manipulation switch is provided,and when this second manipulation switch is pressed, the moving bodymoves in the exact opposite direction from the direction in which theremote casing is oriented.

The three-dimensional movement apparatus pertaining to the twenty-firstmode of the presently disclosed subject matter is the apparatuspertaining to any of the twelfth to nineteenth modes, wherein themanipulation switch is a cross key, when the top of the cross key ispressed the moving body moves within the horizontal plane in thedirection in which the remote casing is oriented, when the bottom of thecross key is pressed the moving body moves within the horizontal planein the exact opposite direction to the direction in which the remotecasing is oriented, when the left side of the cross key is pressed themoving body moves within the horizontal plane to the left and at 90degrees to the direction in which the remote casing is oriented, andwhen the right side of the cross key is pressed the moving body moveswithin the horizontal plane to the right at 90 degrees to the directionin which the remote casing is oriented.

The three-dimensional movement apparatus pertaining to the twenty-secondmode of the presently disclosed subject matter is the apparatuspertaining to any of the twelfth to twenty-first modes, wherein themanipulation switch is a switch that can be pressed in two stages, whenit is pressed down firmly, the manipulation switch is fixed in adepressed state, and even if the orientation of the remote casingsubsequently changes, the moving body will continue moving in thehorizontal plane in the direction in which the remote casing was facingat the point when the manipulation switch was pressed, and when themanipulation switch is pressed firmly again, the manipulation switchreturns and the moving body stops.

The three-dimensional movement apparatus pertaining to the twenty-thirdmode of the presently disclosed subject matter comprises a movementmechanism equipped with a Z axis motor for moving a moving body in theup and down direction by means of a lifting device, and an X axis motorand a Y axis motor for moving the moving body in the horizontal plane; amotor drive control circuit for driving at least one of the X axismotor, the Y axis motor, and the Z axis motor and for moving the movingbody to the desired location; and a manipulation remote that isconnected by a communication cable to the motor drive control circuit,wherein the communication cable comprises a communication wire enclosedin a bendable, non-twist cable tube, the manipulation remote has acuboid remote casing fixed to the lower end of the communication cable,manipulation switches provided to the four side faces of the remotecasing, and an up and down switch for raising and lowering the movingbody, and when one of the manipulation switches is pressed, anelectrical signal is transmitted through the communication wire to themotor drive control circuit, the X axis motor and the Y axis motor aredriven by the motor drive control circuit, and the moving body moveswithin the horizontal plane in the direction in which the manipulationswitch was pressed.

The three-dimensional movement apparatus pertaining to the twenty-fourthmode of the presently disclosed subject matter is the apparatuspertaining to any of the twelfth to twenty-third modes, comprisingdisplay means for displaying the direction in which the remote casing isfacing, at a location that is easily visible by an operator who holdsthe remote casing in a hand and remotely manipulates the movement of themoving body.

The method for manipulating the movement of a moving body pertaining tothe twenty-fifth mode of the presently disclosed subject matter is themethod for the manipulating movement of the moving body by using thethree-dimensional movement apparatus pertaining to any of the twelfth totwenty-third modes, comprising a step of moving the moving body to thedesired location by changing the direction in which the remote casing isfacing.

The method for manipulating the movement of a moving body pertaining tothe twenty-sixth mode of the presently disclosed subject matter is amethod for manipulating the movement of a moving body by using thethree-dimensional movement apparatus pertaining to the twenty-fourthmode, comprising a step of moving the moving body to the desiredlocation by changing the direction in which the remote casing is facingwhile visually confirming the direction displayed by the display means.

The method for controlling the movement of a moving body pertaining tothe twenty-seventh mode of the presently disclosed subject matter is amovement control method for controlling the drive of a movementapparatus that moves a moving body, wherein a manipulation remotecontroller disposed at one end of a slender member comprising at leasttwo rod-like members and a connecting member that bendably connectsthese rod-like members is used to control the drive of the movementapparatus disposed at the other end.

The method for controlling the movement of a moving body pertaining tothe twenty-eighth mode of the presently disclosed subject matter is themovement control method pertaining to the twenty-seventh mode, whereinthe drive of the movement apparatus is controlled on the basis of asignal amount of rotation or the rotational direction of the casing ofthe manipulation remote controller attached rotatably around the axis ofthe rod-like member disposed at one end of the slender member.

The movement manipulation apparatus pertaining to the twenty-ninth modeof the presently disclosed subject matter comprises a slender membercomprising at least two rod-like members and a connecting member thatbendably connects these rod-like members; a casing of a manipulationremote controller attached rotatably around the axis of the rod-likemember disposed at one end of the slender member; signal productionmeans disposed inside the casing, for producing a signal related to theamount of rotation or the rotational direction of the casing around theaxis of this rod-like member; a movement apparatus disposed at the otherend of the slender member, for moving a moving body; a drive controlapparatus for controlling the drive of the drive apparatus on the basisof the signal; and a transmission means for supplying, either through asignal transmission cable or wirelessly, to the drive control apparatusa signal related to the amount of rotation or the rotational directionof the casing.

The movement manipulation apparatus pertaining to the thirtieth mode ofthe presently disclosed subject matter is the movement manipulationapparatus pertaining to the twenty-ninth mode, wherein the signalproduction means is a means for producing a signal related to the amountof rotation or the rotational direction of the casing, which isdetermined relatively with respect to the rod-like members to which thecasing is rotatably attached, or determined using the rod-like membersas a reference.

The movement manipulation apparatus pertaining to the thirty-first modeof the presently disclosed subject matter is the movement manipulationapparatus pertaining to the twenty-ninth or thirtieth mode, comprisingdisplay means for displaying the movement direction of the moving bodyor a direction selected by an operator who holds the casing in his handand remotely manipulates the movement of the moving body, at a locationthat is easily visible by the operator.

The manipulation remote controller pertaining to the thirty-second modeof the presently disclosed subject matter comprises a casing attachedrotatably around the axis of the rod-like member disposed at one end ofa slender member comprising at least two rod-like members and aconnecting member that bendably connects these rod-like members; andsignal production means disposed inside the casing, for producing asignal related to the amount of rotation or the rotational direction ofthe casing around the axis of this rod-like member, wherein thismanipulation remote controller controls the drive of a movementapparatus that is disposed at the other end of the slender member andmoves a moving body on the basis of the signal.

The method for controlling the movement of a moving body pertaining tothe thirty-third mode of the presently disclosed subject matter is amovement control method for controlling the drive of a movementapparatus that moves a moving body, which is a movement control methodfor using a manipulation remote controller disposed at one end of aslender member to control the drive of the movement apparatus disposedat the other end, wherein the drive of the movement apparatus iscontrolled on the basis of a signal generated according to the change inthe distance between a switching means provided to the casing of themanipulation remote controller, which is disposed at one end of theslender member and is attached rotatably around the axis of a portion ofone end of the slender member or the rod-like member constituting thatportion, or a member that works in synchronization with this switchingmeans, and a portion of one end of the slender member disposed insidethe casing or an object that is integral with this portion, or therod-like member that constitutes a portion of one end of the slendermember or an object that is integral with this rod-like member.

The means for generating the signal in the “signal generated accordingto the change . . . ” is an optical sensor. This “optical sensor” isgiven as a typical example of a signal generation means, but a “magneticsensor,” “proximity sensor,” or other such non-contact sensor can besimilarly used.

The method for controlling the movement of a moving body pertaining tothe thirty-fourth mode of the presently disclosed subject matter is themovement control method pertaining to the thirty-third mode, which is amovement control method for controlling the drive of a drive apparatusthat moves a moving body, which is a movement control method for using amanipulation remote controller disposed at one end of a slender memberto control the drive of the movement apparatus disposed at the otherend, wherein the drive of the movement apparatus is controlled on thebasis of an output signal of an optical sensor, which is outputtedaccording to the change in the distance between a push button providedto the casing of the manipulation remote controller, which is disposedat one end of the slender member and is attached rotatably around theaxis of a portion of one end of the slender member or the rod-likemember constituting that portion, or a member that works insynchronization with this push button, and a portion of one end of theslender member disposed inside the casing or a disk that is fixedcoaxially with this portion, or the rod-like member that constitutes aportion of one end of the slender member or a disk that is that is fixedcoaxially with this rod-like member.

The movement manipulation apparatus pertaining to thirty-fifth mode ofthe presently disclosed subject matter comprises a slender member; acasing of a manipulation remote controller attached rotatably around theaxis of a portion of one end of the slender member or the rod-likemember that constitutes this portion; a movement apparatus disposed atthe other end of the slender member, for moving a moving body; a drivecontrol apparatus for controlling the drive of the movement apparatus;switching means provided to the casing; signal generation means forgenerating a signal according to the change in the distance between theswitching means or a member that works in synchronization with thisswitching means and a portion of one end of the slender member disposedinside the casing or an object that is integral with this portion, orthe rod-like member that constitutes a portion of one end of the slendermember or an object that is integral with this rod-like member; and atransmission means for supplying, either through a signal transmissioncable or wirelessly, the signal to the drive control apparatus.

The movement manipulation apparatus pertaining to thirty-sixth mode ofthe presently disclosed subject matter is the movement manipulationapparatus pertaining to the thirty-fifth mode, wherein the switchingmeans is a push button provided to the casing, and the signal generationmeans comprises an optical sensor for detecting the push button or amember that works in synchronization with the push button, and providedto a portion of one end of the slender member disposed inside the casingor a disk that is fixed coaxially with this portion, or the rod-likemember that constitutes a portion of one end of the slender member or adisk that is that is fixed coaxially with this rod-like member.

The manipulation remote controller pertaining to the thirty-seventh modeof the presently disclosed subject matter comprises a casing that isdisposed at one end of a slender member and is attached around rotatablyaround the axis of a portion of one end of the slender member or therod-like member constituting that portion; switching means provided tothe casing; and signal generation means for generating a signalaccording to the change in the distance between the switching means or amember that works in synchronization with this switching means and aportion of one end of the slender member disposed inside the casing oran object that is integral with this portion, or the rod-like memberthat constitutes a portion of one end of the slender member or an objectthat is integral with this rod-like member, wherein this manipulationremote controller controls the drive of a movement apparatus that isdisposed at the other end of the slender member and moves a moving bodyon the basis of the signal.

With the first to eleventh modes of the presently disclosed subjectmatter, the movement of the moving body can be watched while it ismanipulated, without having to watch the manipulation remote in thehands of the operator, so even a novice can manipulate the movement ofthe moving body easily, safely, reliably, and quickly. An example of the“drive control apparatus” in the first to eleventh modes is an apparatusthat controls a drive mechanism for moving a moving body.

The effects of the first to eleventh modes of the presently disclosedsubject matter are as follows.

(1) With the movement control method pertaining to the first mode of thepresently disclosed subject matter, a manipulation remote controller anda movement mechanism for moving a moving body are disposed respectivelyat one end and the other end of a slender member, and the drive of themovement mechanism is controlled on the basis of a signal related to thedirection of the casing of the manipulation remote controller.

(1-1) The “slender member” here is a member whose length is greater thanthe cross sectional effective diameter or average diameter, and refersto something in the interior of which a signal transmission cable can bemounted. A condition of the “slender member” is that a signaltransmission cable can be mounted in its interior, but the cross sectionneed not be in the form of a closed tube (O-shaped), and may instead beU-shaped or C-shaped, that is, there may be a cut or unsealed portionthat exposes the interior to the outside along the lengthwise direction.

The effective surface area of an apparent cross section need not beconstant, and the shape may be that of a straight or curved rod. A cableor cable tube thereof that bends but does not twist, or a cable that orcable tube thereof that is bendable but does not twist, corresponds tothe “slender member,” but ease of bending or twisting is not a conditionof the “slender member” unless otherwise specified.

A typical example of a “cable tube that bends but does not twist” or a“cable tube that is bendable but does not twist” is the flexible metalelectrical wire tube and vinyl-covered flexible metal electrical wiretube specified in JIS C8309, and more specifically, the Plica Tube orWaterproof Plica Tube (trade names) made by Sankei Manufacturing can beused.

(1-2) The “direction of the manipulation remote controller casing” canbe detected using a piezoelectric gyro, an optical fiber gyro, oranother such gyro means.

Furthermore, even a signal that does not correspond directly to the“direction of the manipulation remote controller casing” is encompassedin the “signal related to the direction of the manipulation remotecontroller casing,” as long as it can be utilized to find the direction.For instance, the “direction of the manipulation remote controllercasing” can be found by vector synthesis of the change in the directionof the remote casing (displacement vector) from a preset referenceposition. Therefore, a signal corresponding to the change in thedirection of the remote casing is encompassed in the “signal related tothe direction of the manipulation remote controller casing,” as long asit can be used to find the direction.

(1-3) The explanation of the terminology and expressions in (1-1) and(1-2) above apply to the modes of the presently disclosed subjectmatter.

(1-4) As long as the signal is reliably supplied to the drive controlapparatus, the means for detecting the direction of the manipulationremote casing and/or means for producing a signal related to thedirection of the casing of the manipulation remote based on thisdetection result may be installed at one end of the slender member, thatis, on the side where the manipulation remote controller is disposed, ormay be installed at the other end of the slender member, that is, on theside where the drive control apparatus is disposed. If at least one ofthese means are installed at one end of the slender member, they can beinstalled inside the remote casing.

When the means for detecting the direction of the manipulation remotecasing is installed at the other end of the slender member, it islogically possible to calculate the direction of the remote casing onthe basis of the displacement of the slender member at the other end ofthe slender member, for example. In this case, however, the length ofthe slender member, the coefficient of lateral elasticity, the bendingstiffness, and other such dynamic characteristics of the material, howwell the remote casing is connected, and other such factors canintroduce considerable calculation error, so calculation can bedifficult at times. Consequently, the means for detecting the directionof the manipulation remote casing can be realized by being basicallyinstalled at one end of the slender member, that is, on the side wherethe manipulation remote controller is disposed.

The above-mentioned gyro means is a means for detecting at least thedirection of the manipulation remote casing, and in view of itsfunction, it should be installed at one end of the slender member, thatis, on the side where the manipulation remote controller is disposed,and particularly within the remote casing.

(1-5) With the movement control method in the first mode, the movementof a moving body is controlled according to the direction of the casingof the manipulation remote. Therefore, the operator holding themanipulation remote can move the moving body in the desired direction bychanging the direction of the remote casing to the direction in whichthe moving body is to be moved. Here, the operator does not need to paytoo much attention to the manipulation of the push buttons on themanipulation remote, and need not take his eye off the moving body.Also, since there are fewer buttons and switches on the remote casing,operating the manipulation remote is easier, and pressing the wrongbutton or switch will happen less often if the remote casing surfaceshould become soiled.

Thus, with this first mode, there is no need to look at the manipulationremote in the operator's hand, and he can operate it while watching themovement of the moving body, so a movement control method is obtainedwith which even a novice can manipulate the movement of the moving bodyeasily, safely, reliably, and quickly.

(2) With the movement control method pertaining to the second mode ofthe presently disclosed subject matter, a signal related to thedirection of the remote casing, determined with respect to the slendermember or determined using the slender member as a reference, issupplied to the drive control apparatus, and the movement of the movingbody is controlled on the basis of this signal. Accordingly, theoperator can keep in mind the position of the slender member and movethe remote casing using that position as a reference, so the directionof the remote casing can be intuited or perceived more accurately.

Consequently, the operator holding the manipulation remote can changethe direction of the remote casing more easily, reliably, and quickly tothe direction in which the moving body is to be moved, and can move themoving body in this desired direction more efficiently. Here, theoperator does not need to pay too much attention to the manipulation ofthe push buttons on the manipulation remote, and need not take his eyeoff the moving body. Also, since there are fewer buttons and switches onthe remote casing, operating the manipulation remote is easier, andpressing the wrong button or switch will happen less often if the remotecasing surface should become soiled.

Thus, with this second mode, there is no need to look at themanipulation remote in the operator's hand, and he can operate it whilewatching the movement of the moving body, so a movement control methodis obtained with which even a novice can manipulate the movement of themoving body easily, safely, reliably, and quickly.

(3) With the movement control method pertaining to the third mode of thepresently disclosed subject matter, a signal related to the direction ofthe remote casing is supplied from the manipulation remote controller tothe drive control apparatus through a signal transmission cable thateither is the slender member or is disposed within the slender member.

Consequently, with the third mode, no cable gets in the way andinterferes with manipulation by the operator, and the same action andeffect are obtained as with the first and second modes.

With the methods pertaining to the first and second modes of thepresently disclosed subject matter, there are no restrictions on how thesignal related to the direction of the remote casing is supplied fromthe manipulation remote controller to the drive control apparatus, whichmay be accomplished by either a wired or wireless configuration. Incontrast, with the method pertaining to the third mode, a wiredconfiguration is used, and furthermore the signal transmission cableeither doubles as the slender member or is disposed within the slendermember. Accordingly, even though a wired configuration is employed thereis no need to worry about how the cable is installed.

(4) With the movement control method pertaining to the fourth mode ofthe presently disclosed subject matter, a manipulation remote controllerand a movement mechanism for moving a moving body are disposedrespectively at one end and the other end of a slender member thateither is a signal transmission cable or is equipped with a signaltransmission cable, a signal related to the direction of themanipulation remote controller casing is supplied to a drive controlapparatus that controls the drive of the movement mechanism, a controlsignal is produced on the basis of the signal in part of the drivecontrol apparatus, and the drive of the movement mechanism is controlledon the basis of the control signal in the rest of the drive controlapparatus.

Again with the movement control method pertaining to the fourth mode,just as with the method pertaining to the first mode, the movement ofthe moving body is controlled according to the direction of themanipulation remote casing.

Therefore, the operator holding the manipulation remote can move themoving body in the desired direction by changing the direction of theremote casing to the direction in which the moving body is to be moved.Here, the operator does not need to pay too much attention to themanipulation of the push buttons on the manipulation remote, and neednot take his eye off the moving body. Also, since there are fewerbuttons and switches on the remote casing, operating the manipulationremote is easier, and pressing the wrong button or switch will happenless often if the remote casing surface should become soiled. Thus, withthis fourth mode, there is no need to look at the manipulation remote inthe operator's hand, and he can operate it while watching the movementof the moving body, so a movement control method is obtained with whicheven a novice can manipulate the movement of the moving body easily,safely, reliably, and quickly.

Furthermore, with the method pertaining to the first to third modes ofthe presently disclosed subject matter, the manipulation remote isdisposed at one end of the slender member, and the drive controlapparatus at the other end. In contrast, with the method pertaining tothis fourth mode, part of the drive control apparatus is also disposedat the one end of the slender member. Accordingly, the adjustment andmaintenance work necessary or desired for controlling the movement of amoving body can be accomplished by adjustment and maintenance of thedevice or apparatus disposed at the one end of the slender member.

With an apparatus to which the method pertaining to the fourth mode isapplied, part of the drive control apparatus may be incorporated in themanipulation remote.

(5) With the movement control method pertaining to the fifth mode of thepresently disclosed subject matter, a control signal produced by part ofthe drive control apparatus disposed at one end of the slender member issupplied through the signal transmission cable to the rest of the drivecontrol apparatus.

With the method pertaining to the fourth mode, there are no restrictionson how the control signal produced by part of the drive controlapparatus is supplied to the rest of the drive control apparatus, whichmay be accomplished by either a wired or wireless configuration. Incontrast, with the method pertaining to the fifth mode, a wiredconfiguration is used, and furthermore the signal transmission cableeither doubles as the slender member or is disposed within the slendermember. Accordingly, even though a wired configuration is employed thereis no need to worry about how the cable is installed.

(6) With the movement control method pertaining to the sixth mode of thepresently disclosed subject matter, the signal related to the directionof the remote casing is a signal related to the direction of the remotecasing attached rotatably to the slender member.

(6-1) To install the remote casing rotatably on the slender member, theslender member and the remote casing may be connected via a rotaryconnector that features a known mechanism that makes this possible. If arotary encoder is provided inside the rotary connector, and which wayand how many times the remote casing turns are measured with this rotaryencoder, the signal pertaining to this measurement data will correspondto the “signal related to the direction of the remote casing attachedrotatably to the slender member.” If this signal is supplied to thedrive control apparatus, the movement of the moving body can becontrolled on the basis of the control signal outputted from the drivecontrol apparatus.

(6-2) Therefore, the operator holding the manipulation remote can movethe moving body in the desired direction by changing the direction ofthe remote casing to the direction in which the moving body is to bemoved. Here, the operator does not need to pay too much attention to themanipulation of the push buttons on the manipulation remote, and neednot take his eye off the moving body. Also, since there are fewerbuttons and switches on the remote casing, operating the manipulationremote is easier, and pressing the wrong button or switch will happenless often if the remote casing surface should become soiled.

Thus, with this sixth mode, there is no need to look at the manipulationremote in the operator's hand, and he can operate it while watching themovement of the moving body, so a movement control method is obtainedwith which even a novice can manipulate the movement of the moving bodyeasily, safely, reliably, and quickly.

(6-3) A cable tube that bends but does not twist, or a cable tube thatis bendable but does not twist can be used as the slender member. If acable tube such as this is used, it can be bent so that the manipulationremote can be operated at a location away from directly below the movingbody, and since there is no need to be close to the moving body,operator safety is improved. Also, even if the manipulation remote ismoved, the cable tube will not rotate, so there is no shifting of thereference point (home point) of the rotary encoder. Consequently, if therotary encoder is used to measure which way and how many times theremote casing turns, and a signal pertaining to this measurement data issupplied to the drive control apparatus, movement of the moving body canbe controlled more precisely.

(6-4) An absolute encoder can also be used as the rotary encoder. Therotational direction and angle of the remote casing are sometimes theonly things that can be measured with an ordinary rotary encoder, butthe absolute direction in which the remote casing is actually facing canalso be measured with an absolute encoder. Therefore, the computationfor finding the direction of the remote casing from the output signal ofthe encoder is simpler.

(7) The movement manipulation apparatus pertaining to the seventh modeof the presently disclosed subject matter comprises a slender memberthat either is a signal transmission cable or is equipped with a signaltransmission cable, a casing of a manipulation remote controllerdisposed at one end of the slender member, casing directionidentification means for producing a signal related to the direction ofthe casing, and a drive control apparatus that controls the movement ofa moving body on the basis of the signal and is disposed at the otherend of the slender member, wherein the signal is supplied through thesignal transmission cable from the casing direction identification meansto the drive control apparatus.

(7-1) Typical examples of the “casing direction identification means”include a piezoelectric gyro, an optical fiber gyro, or another suchgyro means, a rotary encoder, and an absolute encoder, but this list isnot meant to be comprehensive.

(7-2) With the movement manipulation apparatus pertaining to thisseventh mode, the movement of a moving body is controlled according tothe direction of the casing of the manipulation remote.

Consequently, the operator holding the manipulation remote can move themoving body in the desired direction by changing the direction of theremote casing to the direction in which the moving body is to be moved.Here, the operator does not need to pay too much attention to themanipulation of the push buttons on the manipulation remote, and neednot take his eye off the moving body. Also, since there are fewerbuttons and switches on the remote casing, operating the manipulationremote is easier, and pressing the wrong button or switch will happenless often if the remote casing surface should become soiled.

Thus, with this seventh mode, there is no need to look at themanipulation remote in the operator's hand, and he can operate it whilewatching the movement of the moving body, so a movement manipulationapparatus can be obtained with which even a novice can manipulate themovement of the moving body easily, safely, reliably, and quickly.

(7-3) The movement manipulation apparatus pertaining to mode 7Acomprises a slender member that either is a signal transmission cable oris equipped with a signal transmission cable, a casing of a manipulationremote controller disposed at one end of the slender member, casingdirection identification means for producing a signal related to thedirection of the casing, a movement mechanism that is disposed at theother end of the slender member and moves the moving body, and a drivecontrol apparatus that controls the movement of the movement mechanismof a moving body on the basis of the signal, wherein the signal issupplied through the signal transmission cable to the drive controlapparatus. This mode has the same action and effect as those of theseventh mode.

(8) With the movement manipulation apparatus pertaining to the eighthmode, the manipulation remote casing is rotatably attached to theslender member, and the casing direction identification means is a meansfor producing a signal related to the direction of the casing,determined with respect to the slender member or determined using theslender member as a reference.

(8-1) First, with the apparatus pertaining to this eighth mode, theremote casing is rotatably attached to the slender member. To installthe remote casing rotatably on the slender member, the slender memberand the remote casing may be connected via a rotary connector thatfeatures a known mechanism that makes this possible. If the rotaryencoder serving as the casing direction identification means is providedinside the rotary connector, and which way and how many times the remotecasing turns are measured with this rotary encoder, and the signalpertaining to this measurement data is supplied to the drive controlapparatus, then movement of the moving body will be controlled on thebasis of the control signal outputted from the drive control apparatus.

Consequently, if the apparatus pertaining to this eighth mode is used,the operator holding the manipulation remote can move the moving body inthe desired direction by changing the direction of the remote casing tothe direction in which the moving body is to be moved.

A cable tube that bends but does not twist, or a cable tube that isbendable but does not twist can be used as the slender member (see (6-3)above), and an absolute encoder can be used as the rotary encoder (see(6-4) above), and in this respect this mode is the same as the fifthmode, and will therefore not be described again.

(8-2) With the apparatus pertaining to this eighth mode, the casingdirection identification means produces a signal related to thedirection of the casing, determined with respect to the slender memberor determined using the slender member as a reference, and this signalis supplied to the drive control apparatus. Accordingly, the operatorcan keep in mind the position of the slender member and move the remotecasing using that position as a reference, so the direction of theremote casing can be intuited or perceived more accurately.

Consequently, the operator holding the manipulation remote can changethe direction of the remote casing more easily, reliably, and quickly tothe direction in which the moving body is to be moved, and can move themoving body in this desired direction more efficiently.

(8-3) Also, the operator does not need to pay too much attention to themanipulation of the push buttons on the manipulation remote, and neednot take his eye off the moving body. Also, since there are fewerbuttons and switches on the remote casing, operating the manipulationremote is easier, and pressing the wrong button or switch will happenless often if the remote casing surface should become soiled.

Thus, with this eighth mode, there is no need to look at themanipulation remote in the operator's hand, and he can operate it whilewatching the movement of the moving body, so a movement controlapparatus is obtained with which even a novice can manipulate themovement of the moving body easily, safely, reliably, and quickly.

(9) The movement manipulation apparatus pertaining to the ninth mode ofthe presently disclosed subject matter comprises display means fordisplaying the direction in which the remote casing is facing at alocation that is easily visible by an operator who holds the remotecasing in his hand and remotely manipulates the movement of the movingbody.

(9-1) The phrase “at a location that is easily visible by an operator”here means a location that is within the field of vision of the operatorwhen he operates the manipulation remote. Typical examples of this wouldbe a suitable location on the remote casing or the nearby slender memberthat is within the field of vision when the operator glances at hishands, a suitable location on the moving body that is within the fieldof vision when the operator looks at the moving body, or on the ceiling,a wall, or another location, but in these examples a prerequisite isthat the location be one that does not adversely affect manipulation ofthe manipulation remote and does not hamper movement of the moving body.Typical examples of the display means for displaying the direction inwhich the remote casing is facing include electro-optic notice boards ordirection indicators that display the direction in letters, symbols,numerals, arrows, different colors or shades, flashing lights, or thelike, but there are no particular restrictions as long as the displayallows the operator to perceive or intuit the direction in question.

(9-2) Consequently, the operator can operate the manipulation remotewhile checking the display means to ascertain the orientation of thecasing of the manipulation remote, so the orientation of the casing doesnot have to be checked by constantly monitoring the manipulation remotein his hand. Also, since the operator can monitor the movement of themoving body while confirming the orientation of the remote casing in hishand from the display on the display means, without greatly shifting hisfield of vision, manipulation is easier and the work is more efficient.The work can also be carried out more safely.

Thus, with this ninth mode, there is no need to look at the manipulationremote in the operator's hand, and he can operate it while watching themovement of the moving body, so a movement manipulation apparatus isobtained with which even a novice can manipulate the movement of themoving body easily, safely, reliably, and quickly.

(10) The method for manipulating the movement of a moving bodypertaining to the tenth mode of the presently disclosed subject mattercomprises a step in which a moving body is moved to the desired locationby changing the direction of the casing of a manipulation remote withrespect to a slender member or changing the direction using a slendermember as a reference.

Accordingly, the operator can keep in mind the position of the slendermember and move the remote casing using that position as a reference, sothe direction of the remote casing can be intuited or perceived moreaccurately. Consequently, the operator holding the manipulation remotecan change the direction of the remote casing more easily, reliably, andquickly to the direction in which the moving body is to be moved, andcan move the moving body in this desired direction more efficiently.Here, the operator does not need to pay too much attention to themanipulation of the push buttons on the manipulation remote, and neednot take his eye off the moving body. Also, since there are fewerbuttons and switches on the remote casing, operating the manipulationremote is easier, and pressing the wrong button or switch will happenless often if the remote casing surface should become soiled.

Thus, with this tenth mode, there is no need to look at the manipulationremote in the operator's hand, and he can operate it while watching themovement of the moving body, so even a novice can manipulate themovement of the moving body easily, safely, reliably, and quickly.

(11) The method for manipulating the movement of a moving bodypertaining to the eleventh mode of the presently disclosed subjectmatter comprises a step of moving the moving body to the desiredlocation by visually confirming the direction of the casing with respectto the slender member displayed on the display means, while relativelychanging the direction of the casing relative to the slender member.

Consequently, the operator can manipulate the manipulation remote whileconfirming the orientation of the manipulation remote controller fromthe display on the display means, so the orientation of the casing doesnot have to be checked by constantly monitoring the manipulation remotein his hand. Also, since the operator can monitor the movement of themoving body while confirming the orientation of the remote casing in hishand from the display on the display means, without greatly shifting hisfield of vision, manipulation is easier and the work is more efficient.The work can also be carried out more safely.

Thus, with this eleventh mode, there is no need to look at themanipulation remote in the operator's hand, and he can operate it whilewatching the movement of the moving body, so even a novice canmanipulate the movement of the moving body easily, safely, reliably, andquickly.

With the twelfth to twenty-sixth modes of the presently disclosedsubject matter, there is no need to look at the manipulation remote inthe operator's hand, and he can operate it while watching the movementof the moving body, so even a novice can manipulate the movement of amoving body in three-dimensional directions easily, safely, reliably,and quickly.

The action and effect of the twelfth to twenty-sixth modes of thepresently disclosed subject matter are as follows. The “motor drivecontrol circuit” in the twelfth to twenty-sixth modes is encompassed inthe “drive control apparatus” of the first to eleventh modes.

(12) The three-dimensional movement apparatus pertaining to the twelfthmode of the presently disclosed subject matter comprises a movementmechanism equipped with a Z axis motor for moving a moving body in theup and down direction by means of a lifting device, and an X axis motorand a Y axis motor for moving the moving body in the horizontal plane; amotor drive control circuit for driving at least one of the X axismotor, the Y axis motor, and the Z axis motor and for moving the movingbody to the desired location; and a manipulation remote that has acasing direction identification means for detecting the direction of theremote casing, a manipulation switch that is built into the remotecasing and controls the X axis motor and/or the Y axis motor by means ofthe above-mentioned motor drive control circuit so that the remotecasing is moved horizontally in the direction in which it is facing, andan up and down switch that is built into the remote casing and raises orlowers the moving body, and which communicates with the motor drivecontrol circuit by exchanging data about the direction of the remotecasing detected by the casing direction identification means and dataabout whether or not the manipulation switch or the up and down switchhas been operated.

Consequently, the operator can move the moving body horizontally to thedesired location, without taking his eye off the moving body, by holdingthe manipulation remote in his hand and monitoring the moving body whileholding down the manipulation switches and facing the remote casing inthe direction in which the moving body is to be moved within thehorizontal plane. The moving body can be lowered to the desired locationby operating the up and down switch on the remote casing.

Therefore, with this twelfth mode, even a novice can manipulate quickly,safely, and reliably, and since there are only two (when the up and downswitches are integrated) or three (when the up switch and the downswitch are separate in the up and down switch) switches on the remotecasing, there is no risk of pressing the wrong switch even if the remotecasing surface should become soiled. Thus, there is no need to look atthe manipulation remote in the operator's hand, and he can operate itwhile watching the movement of the moving body, so a three-dimensionalmovement apparatus is obtained with which even a novice can manipulateeasily, safely, reliably, and quickly.

(13) With the three-dimensional movement apparatus pertaining to thethirteenth mode of the presently disclosed subject matter, communicationbetween the manipulation remote and the motor drive control circuit isaccomplished by wired communication using a communication cable thatconnects the manipulation remote and the motor drive control circuit.Using this wired manipulation configuration affords a simpleconstitution, with no need to attach a wireless communication apparatusas with the above-mentioned Patent Document 2. Also, the moving body canbe moved horizontally in the desired direction by using a piezoelectricgyro, an optical fiber gyro, or another such gyro means as the casingdirection identification means, even if the communication cable shouldtwist, the direction of the remote casing can be detected exactly.

Consequently, the operator can move the moving body horizontally to thedesired location, without taking his eye off the moving body, by holdingthe manipulation remote in his hand and monitoring the moving body whileholding down the manipulation switches and facing the remote casing inthe direction in which the moving body is to be moved within thehorizontal plane. The moving body can be lowered to the desired locationby operating the up and down switch on the remote casing.

Therefore, with this thirteenth mode, even a novice can manipulatequickly, safely, and reliably, and since there are only two (when the upand down switches are integrated) or three (when the up switch and thedown switch are separate in the up and down switch) switches on theremote casing, there is no risk of pressing the wrong switch even if theremote casing surface should become soiled. Thus, there is no need tolook at the manipulation remote in the operator's hand, and he canoperate it while watching the movement of the moving body, so athree-dimensional movement apparatus is obtained with which even anovice can manipulate easily, safely, reliably, and quickly.

(14) With the three-dimensional movement apparatus pertaining to thefourteenth mode of the presently disclosed subject matter, thecommunication cable comprises a communication wire enclosed in abendable, non-twist cable tube, and the casing direction identificationmeans comprises a rotary encoder provided inside a rotary connector thatrotatably connects the remote casing to the lower end of the cable tube.

A specific example of the “cable tube that bends but does not twist” or“cable tube that is bendable but does not twist” is the flexible metalelectrical wire tube and vinyl-covered flexible metal electrical wiretube specified in JIS C8309. For example, the Plica Tube or WaterproofPlica Tube (trade names) made by Sankei Manufacturing can be used. The“cable tube that bends but does not twist” is not limited to thesespecific examples, and any one can be used as long as it is bendable butdoes not twist,

This allows the cable tube to be bent so that the manipulation remotecan be operated at a location away from directly below the moving body,and since there is no need to be close to the moving body, operatorsafety is improved. Also, since the cable tube bends but does not twist,even if the manipulation remote is moved, the cable tube will notrotate, so there is no shifting of the reference point (home point) ofthe rotary encoder serving as the casing direction identification means.Therefore, if the rotary encoder provided in the rotary connector isused to measure which way and how many times the remote casing turns,this measurement data can be sent through a communication wire to themotor drive control circuit, and the motor drive control circuit cancontrol the X axis motor and/or the Y axis motor, on the basis of thereceived measurement data, so that the moving body is moved in thehorizontal plane in the direction in which the remote casing is facing.

Consequently, the operator can move the moving body horizontally to thedesired location, without taking his eye off the moving body, by holdingthe manipulation remote in his hand and monitoring the moving body whileholding down the manipulation switches and facing the remote casing inthe direction in which the moving body is to be moved within thehorizontal plane. The moving body can be lowered to the desired locationby operating the up and down switch on the remote casing.

Therefore, even a novice can manipulate quickly, safely, and reliably,and since there are only two (when the up and down switches areintegrated) or three (when the up switch and the down switch areseparate in the up and down switch) switches on the remote casing, thereis no risk of pressing the wrong switch even if the remote casingsurface should become soiled.

Thus, with this fourteenth mode, there is no need to look at themanipulation remote in the operator's hand, and he can operate it whilewatching the movement of the moving body, so a three-dimensionalmovement apparatus is obtained with which even a novice can manipulateeasily, safely, reliably, and quickly.

(15) With the three-dimensional movement apparatus pertaining to thefifteenth mode of the presently disclosed subject matter, an absoluteencoder is used as the rotary encoder.

The “absolute encoder” here is an encoder that not only measures therotational direction and angle as with an ordinary rotary encoder, butcan also detect the absolute direction in which the remote casing isactually facing.

The result is that when the main power supply to the three-dimensionalmovement apparatus is shut off when the work is finished, interrupted,etc., and the main power supply to the three-dimensional movementapparatus is then turned back on, the absolute encoder can instantlydetect the direction in which the remote casing is facing, so there isno need for resetting every time the main power supply is turned off andon, and manipulation can start right away.

Consequently, the operator can move the moving body horizontally to thedesired location, without taking his eye off the moving body, by holdingthe manipulation remote in his hand and monitoring the moving body whileholding down the manipulation switches and facing the remote casing inthe direction in which the moving body is to be moved within thehorizontal plane. The moving body can be lowered to the desired locationby operating the up and down switch on the remote casing.

Therefore, even a novice can manipulate quickly, safely, and reliably,and since there are only two (when the up and down switches areintegrated) or three (when the up switch and the down switch areseparate in the up and down switch) switches on the remote casing, thereis no risk of pressing the wrong switch even if the remote casingsurface should become soiled.

Thus, with this fifteenth mode, there is no need to look at themanipulation remote in the operator's hand, and he can operate it whilewatching the movement of the moving body, so a three-dimensionalmovement apparatus is obtained with which even a novice can manipulateeasily, safely, reliably, and quickly, and there is no need forresetting every time the main power supply is turned off and on, somanipulation can start right away.

(16) With the three-dimensional movement apparatus pertaining to thesixteenth mode of the presently disclosed subject matter, communicationbetween the manipulation remote and the motor drive control circuit iscarried out by wireless communication using a receiver connected to themotor drive control circuit and a transmitter provided to themanipulation remote, and the casing direction identification means is agyro means enclosed in the remote casing.

A piezoelectric gyro, an optical fiber gyro, or the like can be used asthe gyro means. The remote casing can be in any shape, such as a flatshape, a disk shape, a cuboid shape, or a three-dimensional shape, andthe front or a distal end of the remote casing may be printed orotherwise labeled so that the direction of the remote casing will beobvious. Also, manipulation switches may be provided at any position onthe remote casing.

A major distinction of the three-dimensional movement apparatuspertaining to the sixteenth mode is that it involves wireless remotemanipulation, as opposed to the wired manipulation of thethree-dimensional movement apparatus pertaining to the thirteenth tofifteenth modes. Specifically, the gyro means provided to themanipulation remote detects the absolute bearing in which the remotecasing is facing, this data is transmitted by wireless signal from thetransmitter to the receiver, the motor drive control circuit receivesthis signal, and the X axis motor and Y axis motor are controlled so asto move the moving body horizontally in the direction of the remotecasing.

Therefore, there is no need to worry about how the cable is installed,as with wired remote manipulation, and the moving body can bemanipulated from a place far away from directly below it (the place of acrane apparatus, helicopter, etc.), so operator safety is improved andmanipulation is easier.

If the orientation of the remote casing should go beyond the detectionlimit of the gyro means, the moving body can no longer be moved properlyby the manipulation remote, which can be dangerous. To prevent this fromhappening, the configuration can be such that if the orientation of theremote casing should go beyond the detection limit of the gyro means,the moving body will not move even if the manipulation switch on themanipulation remote is pressed.

Thus, with this sixteenth mode, there is no need to look at themanipulation remote in the operator's hand, and he can operate it whilewatching the movement of the moving body, so a three-dimensionalmovement apparatus is obtained with which even a novice can manipulatethe movement of the moving body easily, safely, reliably, and quickly,and with which safety is improved and manipulation is easier.

(17) With the three-dimensional movement apparatus pertaining to theseventeenth mode of the presently disclosed subject matter, wirelesscommunication is achieved with a radio wave communication apparatus. Theterm “radio wave” here means an electromagnetic wave with a frequency ofabout a few THz or less, and includes long waves, medium waves, shortwaves, ultra-short waves, and microwaves.

With this seventeenth mode, reliable communication by wirelesscommunication with radio waves will be possible even if an obstacleshould be in between the transmitter and receiver, so the operatorholding the manipulation remote can move and manipulate the moving bodyfrom a location that is safe and affords the easiest manipulation. Thus,by using radio waves as the wireless communication means, athree-dimensional movement apparatus is obtained that is extremely easyto use regardless of where the manipulation remote is operated, and inturn there is no need to look at the manipulation remote in theoperator's hand, and he can operate it while watching the movement ofthe moving body, so even a novice can manipulate the movement of themoving body easily, safely, reliably, and quickly, and the apparatus isextremely easy to use regardless of where the manipulation remote isoperated.

(18) With the three-dimensional movement apparatus pertaining to theeighteenth mode of the presently disclosed subject matter, wirelesscommunication is achieved with an optical communication apparatus. Theterm “optical” here refers to electromagnetic waves with a wavelengthbetween about 1 nm and about 1 mm, and is not limited to visible lightrays, but includes infrared rays and ultraviolet rays.

Light, unlike radio waves, has the disadvantage that the transmission ofa signal will be blocked if there is an obstacle between the transmitter(light emitting apparatus) and the receiver (light receiving apparatus),but an advantage is that an optical communication apparatus is far lessexpensive than a radio wave communication apparatus. Therefore, theoperating system of a three-dimensional movement apparatus featuringwireless communication can be constructed inexpensively.

Thus, with this eighteenth mode, there is no need to look at themanipulation remote in the operator's hand, and he can operate it whilewatching the movement of the moving body, so a three-dimensionalmovement apparatus is obtained with which even a novice can manipulatethe movement of the moving body easily, safely, reliably, and quickly,and with which an operating system featuring wireless communication canbe constructed inexpensively.

(19) With three-dimensional movement apparatus pertaining to thenineteenth mode of the presently disclosed subject matter, the X axismotor and/or the Y axis motor and/or the Z axis motor is actuated andthe moving body is moved to a specific home position by turning on themain power supply to the movement mechanism in a state in which theremote casing of the manipulation remote is facing a specific homedirection.

With a three-dimensional movement apparatus having wirelessmanipulation, when the main power supply to the three-dimensionalmovement apparatus is turned off and on, an absolute encoder cannot beused as with the three-dimensional movement apparatus pertaining to thefifteenth mode, so some means for resetting is or may be necessary. Thisis particularly true in the case of a vehicle-mounted crane or the like.

In view of this, when the main power supply to the three-dimensionalmovement apparatus is turned off, the remote casing of the manipulationremote is left oriented in a specific home direction, a main powerswitch provided to the manipulation remote or a main power switchprovided to some other place is turned on, and at least one of the Xaxis motor, the Y axis motor, and the Z axis motor is driven to move themoving body to a specific home position, thereby performing a resettingmanipulation. Data indicating the direction in which the remote casingof the manipulation remote is facing at this point is measured by a gyromeans built into the remote casing, and sent out wirelessly.

Particularly with a three-dimensional movement apparatus featuringwireless manipulation, the fact that the manipulation remote can haveits own power supply can actually be utilized, and if the power supplyfor the manipulation remote is a rechargeable battery, and the design issuch that the remote casing will face a specific home direction when themanipulation remote is placed in a charger, then the resettingmanipulation can be performed more reliably.

Thus, with this nineteenth mode, the three-dimensional movementapparatus can be obtained with no need to look at the manipulationremote in the operator's hand, and he can operate it while watching themovement of the moving body, so even a novice can manipulate easily,safely, reliably, and quickly, and resetting can be reliablyaccomplished every time the main power supply is turned off and on.

(20) With the three-dimensional movement apparatus pertaining to thetwentieth mode of the presently disclosed subject matter, a secondmanipulation switch is provided to the face of the remote casing on theopposite side from the face where the manipulation switch is provided,and when this second manipulation switch is pressed, the moving bodymoves in the exact opposite direction from the direction in which theremote casing is oriented.

With the three-dimensional movement apparatus pertaining to the twelfthto nineteenth modes, the remote casing had to be rotated 360 degrees tomove the moving body 360 degrees in any direction within the horizontalplane, but with the three-dimensional movement apparatus pertaining tothe twentieth mode, the moving body can be moved 360 degrees in anydirection within the horizontal plane by rotating the remote casingwithin a range of just 180 degrees.

Consequently, it is easier for the operator to operate thethree-dimensional movement apparatus, and it can be operated with theoperator in a comfortable posture and for a short movement distance.Also, the moving body can be moved with the operator always facing it,and since the operator does not have to turn his back on the moving bodywhile it is moving, safety is improved.

Thus, with this twentieth mode, there is no need to look at themanipulation remote in the operator's hand, and he can operate it whilewatching the movement of the moving body, so a three-dimensionalmovement apparatus is obtained with which even a novice can manipulateeasily, safely, reliably, and quickly, the operating posture is morecomfortable, shorter distances are possible, and safer manipulation isafforded.

(21) With the three-dimensional movement apparatus pertaining to thetwenty-first mode of the presently disclosed subject matter, themanipulation switch is a cross key, when the top of the cross key ispressed the moving body moves within the horizontal plane in thedirection in which the remote casing is oriented, when the bottom of thecross key is pressed the moving body moves within the horizontal planein the exact opposite direction to the direction in which the remotecasing is oriented, when the left side of the cross key is pressed themoving body moves within the horizontal plane to the left and at 90degrees to the direction in which the remote casing is oriented, andwhen the right side of the cross key is pressed the moving body moveswithin the horizontal plane to the right at 90 degrees to the directionin which the remote casing is oriented.

With the three-dimensional movement apparatus pertaining to the twelfthto nineteenth modes, the remote casing had to be rotated 360 degrees tomove the moving body 360 degrees in any direction within the horizontalplane, and with the three-dimensional movement apparatus pertaining tothe twentieth mode, the remote casing had to be rotated 180 degrees, butwith the three-dimensional movement apparatus pertaining to thetwenty-first mode, the moving body can be moved 360 degrees in anydirection within the horizontal plane by rotating the remote casingwithin a range of just 90 degrees.

Consequently, it is even easier for the operator to operate thethree-dimensional movement apparatus, and it can be operated with theoperator in a more comfortable posture and for a shorter movementdistance. Also, the moving body can be moved with the operator alwaysfacing it, and since the operator does not have to turn his back on themoving body while it is moving, safety is improved.

Thus, with this twenty-first mode, there is no need to look at themanipulation remote in the operator's hand, and he can operate it whilewatching the movement of the moving body, so a three-dimensionalmovement apparatus is obtained with which even a novice can manipulateeasily, safely, reliably, and quickly, the operating posture is morecomfortable, shorter distances are possible, and safer manipulation isafforded.

(22) With three-dimensional movement apparatus pertaining to thetwenty-second mode of the presently disclosed subject matter, themanipulation switch is a switch that can be pressed in two stages, whenit is pressed down firmly, the manipulation switch is fixed in adepressed state, and even if the orientation of the remote casingsubsequently changes, the moving body will continue moving in thehorizontal plane in the direction in which the remote casing was facingat the point when the manipulation switch was pressed, and when themanipulation switch is pressed firmly again, the manipulation switchreturns and the moving body stops.

There will be more burden on the operator if the design is such that theoperator has to hold the remote casing with it facing in the directionin which the moving body is to be moved within the horizontal plane evenafter the direction of the remote casing is aligned with the movementdirection and the manipulation switch is pressed. In view of this, ifthe manipulation switch is one that can be pressed in two stages, sothat it is fixed in its pressed state when pressed firmly, and thedirection of horizontal movement of the moving body will not change evenif the orientation of the remote casing is subsequently changed, thenthere will be no need to hold the remote casing in a constantorientation, and this greatly alleviates the burden on the operator. Thedesign may be such that when the moving body is to be stopped, themanipulation switch is returned by pressing it firmly again.

Thus, with this twenty-second mode, there is no need to look at themanipulation remote in the operator's hand, and he can operate it whilewatching the movement of the moving body, so a three-dimensionalmovement apparatus is obtained with which even a novice can manipulateeasily, safely, reliably, and quickly, and the burden on the operator isgreatly alleviated.

(23) The three-dimensional movement apparatus pertaining to thetwenty-third mode of the presently disclosed subject matter comprises amovement mechanism equipped with a Z axis motor for moving a moving bodyin the up and down direction by means of a lifting device, and an X axismotor and a Y axis motor for moving the moving body in the horizontalplane; a motor drive control circuit for driving at least one of the Xaxis motor, the Y axis motor, and the Z axis motor and for moving themoving body to the desired location; and a manipulation remote that isconnected by a communication cable to the motor drive control circuit,wherein the communication cable comprises a communication wire enclosedin a bendable, non-twist cable tube, the manipulation remote has acuboid remote casing fixed to the lower end of the communication cable,manipulation switches provided to the four side faces of the remotecasing, and an up and down switch for raising and lowering the movingbody, and when one of the manipulation switches is pressed, anelectrical signal is transmitted through the communication wire to themotor drive control circuit, the X axis motor and the Y axis motor aredriven by the motor drive control circuit, and the moving body moveswithin the horizontal plane in the direction in which the manipulationswitch was pressed.

As a result, the moving body is monitored while the manipulation switchfor the direction in which the moving body is to be moved is pressedfrom among the four manipulation switches provided to the side faces ofthe remote casing, and when the direction in which the moving body is tobe moved is oblique with respect to the cuboid remote casing, the movingbody is moved in a zigzag pattern within the horizontal plane byalternately pressing two manipulation switches, allowing the operator tomove the moving body to the desired location without taking his eye offthe moving body. The moving body can be lowered to the desired locationby operating the up and down switch on the remote casing and loweringthe moving body.

Consequently, the three-dimensional movement apparatus can be operatedquickly, safely, and reliably even by a novice, and since only onemanipulation switch is provided to each side face of the remote casing,there is no risk of pressing the wrong switch even if the remote casingsurface should become soiled.

Also, with the three-dimensional movement apparatus pertaining to thetwenty-third mode, unlike with the three-dimensional movement apparatuspertaining to the twelfth to twenty-second modes, the constitution issimple and does not make use of any expensive device such as the casingdirection identification means (rotary encoder, gyro apparatus, etc.),so the cost is lower.

Furthermore, with the three-dimensional movement apparatus pertaining tothe twenty-third mode, the side faces of the remote casing do not needto be parallel to the X and Y axes of the three-dimensional movementapparatus. However, if the side faces of the remote casing are madeparallel to the X and Y axes of the three-dimensional movementapparatus, then when the moving body is moved horizontally in the Xaxial direction, the operator need only hold down one manipulationswitch, and when the moving body is moved horizontally in the Y axialdirection, only one manipulation switch needs to be held down, somanipulation is easier for the operator.

Thus, with the twenty-third mode, there is no need to look at themanipulation remote in the operator's hand, and he can operate it whilewatching the movement of the moving body, so a three-dimensionalmovement apparatus is obtained with which even a novice can manipulateeasily, safely, reliably, and quickly, and the cost can be reduced.

(24) Three-dimensional movement apparatus pertaining to thetwenty-fourth mode of the presently disclosed subject matter comprisesdisplay means for displaying the direction in which the remote casing isfacing, at a location that is easily visible by an operator who holdsthe casing in his hand and remotely manipulates the movement of themoving body. The meaning and interpretation of “a location that iseasily visible by an operator” are the same as given above (see (9-1)above).

Consequently, an operator can operate the manipulation remote whilechecking the orientation of the casing of the manipulation remote fromthe display on the display means, so the orientation of the casing doesnot have to be checked by constantly monitoring the manipulation remotein his hand. Also, since the operator can monitor the movement of themoving body while confirming the orientation of the remote casing in hishand from the display on the display means, without greatly shifting hisfield of vision, manipulation is easier and the work is more efficient.The work can also be carried out more safely.

Thus, with this twenty-fourth mode, there is no need to look at themanipulation remote in the operator's hand, and he can operate it whilewatching the movement of the moving body, so a three-dimensionalmovement apparatus is obtained with which even a novice can manipulatein the three-dimensional direction the movement of the moving bodyeasily, safely, reliably, quickly, and efficiently.

(25) The method for manipulating the movement of a moving bodypertaining to the twenty-fifth mode of the presently disclosed subjectmatter comprises a step of moving the moving body to the desiredlocation by changing the direction in which the remote casing is facing.Consequently, with this twenty-fifth mode, there is no need to look atthe manipulation remote in the operator's hand, and he can operate itwhile watching the movement of the moving body, so even a novice canmanipulate the movement of the moving body in three-dimensionaldirections easily, safely, reliably, and quickly.

(26) The method for manipulating the movement of a moving bodypertaining to the twenty-sixth mode of the presently disclosed subjectmatter comprises a step of moving the moving body to the desiredlocation by changing the direction in which the remote casing is facingwhile visually confirming the direction displayed by the display means.

Consequently, the operator can operate the manipulation remote whilechecking the display means to ascertain the orientation of the casing ofthe manipulation remote, so the orientation of the casing does not haveto be checked by constantly monitoring the manipulation remote in hishand. Also, since the operator can monitor the movement of the movingbody while confirming the orientation of the remote casing in his handfrom the display on the display means, without greatly shifting hisfield of vision, manipulation is easier and the work is more efficient.The work can also be carried out more safely.

Thus, with this twenty-sixth mode, there is no need to look at themanipulation remote in the operator's hand, and he can operate it whilewatching the movement of the moving body, so even a novice canmanipulate the movement of the moving body in three-dimensionaldirections easily, safely, reliably, quickly, and efficiently.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENT

Embodiments of the presently disclosed subject matter will now bedescribed through reference to the drawings.

Embodiment 1

First, the three-dimensional movement apparatus pertaining to Embodiment1 of the presently disclosed subject matter will be described throughreference to FIGS. 1 to 4.

FIG. 1 is an oblique view of the overall configuration of an overheadcrane, which is an example of the three-dimensional movement apparatuspertaining to Embodiment 1 of the presently disclosed subject matter.FIG. 2 is a diagram of the structure of a lifting device of an overheadcrane, which is an example of the three-dimensional movement apparatuspertaining to Embodiment 1 of the presently disclosed subject matter.FIG. 3( a) is an oblique view of the remote casing portion of amanipulation remote in a three-dimensional movement apparatus pertainingto Embodiment 1 of the presently disclosed subject matter, and FIG. 3(b) is an oblique view of the remote casing portion of a manipulationremote in a three-dimensional movement apparatus pertaining to amodification of Embodiment 1 of the presently disclosed subject matter.FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating the control mechanism in anoverhead crane, which is an example of the three-dimensional movementapparatus pertaining to Embodiment 1 of the presently disclosed subjectmatter.

As shown in FIG. 1, an overhead crane 1 serving as an example of thethree-dimensional movement apparatus in Embodiment 1 of the presentlydisclosed subject matter comprises a crane girder 4 which is equippedwith a winder 5 (serving as a lifting device) capable of lateralmovement, and which spans the distance between a pair of saddles 3A and3B that travel on wheels over travel rails 2A and 2B set up in parallelnear the ceiling of a building. A hook 7 (serving as a moving body) isfixed to the distal end of a support cable 6 that is wound up by thewinder 5 (lifting device).

Because the overhead crane 1 is thus configured such that the cranegirder 4 is installed substantially perpendicular to the travel rails 2Aand 2B, and the winder 5 with the hook 7 at its distal end moves overthis crane girder 4, it is applicable as the three-dimensional movementapparatus pertaining to the presently disclosed subject matter, whichfocuses on a movement mechanism equipped with a Z axis motor for movingthe hook 7 (moving body) in the up and down direction, and an X axismotor and Y axis motor for moving within the horizontal plane.

A communication cable 8 (serving as the slender member) that will bendbut does not twist (hangs down from the winder 5 to near the floor, andthe lower end of the communication cable 8 is connected to a remotecasing 10 via a rotary connector 12 that is able to rotate with respectto the communication cable 8. The communication cable 8 here that willbend but does not twist comprises a communication wire enclosed in abendable, non-twist cable tube, and the casing direction identificationmeans comprises a rotary encoder provided inside the rotary connector 12that rotatably connects the remote casing 10 to the lower end of thecable tube. A specific example of the “bendable, non-twist cable tube”is the flexible metal electrical wire tube and vinyl-covered flexiblemetal electrical wire tube specified in JIS C8309. For example, thePlica Tube or Waterproof Plica Tube (trade names) made by SankeiManufacturing can be used.

Two-stage push-button manipulation switches 11 are provided to the frontface of the cuboid remote casing 10. When lightly pressed, themanipulation switches 11 do not stay in place, and return under springforce when released. When pressed firmly, they stay down, and returnunder spring force when pressed firmly again. An optical type of rotaryencoder (serving as the casing direction identification means) is builtinto the rotary connector 12. The manipulation remote 9 pertaining toEmbodiment 1 is made up of the remote casing 10 having thesemanipulation switches 11, and the rotary connector 12 that rotatablyconnects the remote casing 10 to the communication cable 8.

As shown in FIG. 2, the winder 5 has a pair of wheels 14 provided oneither side of the crane girder 4. These wheels 14 are driven androtated by a lateral motion motor (Y axis motor) 13, so that the winder5 moves laterally along the crane girder 4. The lateral travel unit issuch that a winder main body 17 hangs down from and is supported by asupport member 15, and a winding motor (Z axis motor) 16 for winding upor playing out the support cable 6 is attached to the winder main body17.

Travel wheels and travel motors (X axis motors) (not shown) are providedto the saddles 3A and 3B that travel over travel rails 2A and 2B andsupport the ends of the crane girder 4 shown in FIG. 1. The winder mainbody 17 shown in FIG. 2 has a built-in motor drive control circuit fordriving the X axis motor, the Y axis motor 13, and the Z axis motor 16according to the manipulation of the manipulation remote 9.

The structure of the manipulation remote 9 pertaining to Embodiment 1will now be described through reference to FIG. 3( a). As shown in FIG.3( a), the remote casing 10 is attached via the rotary connector 12 soas to be rotatable over 360 degrees with respect to the communicationcable 8. The large manipulation switch 11 in the middle is provided tothe front face of the remote casing 10, and an up switch 11A and a downswitch 11B (serving as the up and down switches) are provided above andbelow this.

As discussed above, an optical rotary encoder is provided as the casingdirection identification means in the interior of the rotary connector12, and the way and how many times the remote casing 10 turns aremeasured with respect to a reference direction (in Embodiment 1, adirection in which the remote casing 10 is parallel to the crane girder4 as shown in FIG. 1), and this rotational angle data is sent as anelectrical signal through a communication cable built into thecommunication cable 8 to the motor drive control circuit built into thewinder main body 17.

When the manipulation switch 11 is lightly pressed, an electrical signalindicating that the manipulation switch 11 has been lightly pressed issent through a communication cable built into the communication cable 8to the motor drive control circuit built into the winder main body 17,the X axis motor and/or the Y axis motor 13 is actuated under thecontrol of the motor drive control circuit, and the hook 7 (the movingbody) moves horizontally in the exact opposite direction from thedirection of the remote casing 10, that is, the front face of the remotecasing 10.

The control of the motor drive control circuit will be described throughreference to FIGS. 1 to 4.

As shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, the manipulation switch 11, the up switch 11A,and the down switch 11B are provided to the remote casing 10 that ispart of the manipulation remote 9, and a rotary encoder (optical rotaryencoder) 19 is built as a casing direction identification means into therotary connector 12. The motor drive control circuit 18 built into thewinder main body 17 is constituted by a microprocessor 20 and aninverter (or contactor) 21.

The microprocessor 20 here comprises a CPU (central processing unit),ROM, RAM, or other such memory apparatus, and an input/output (I/O)apparatus, receives electrical signals sent from the remote casing 10through the communication wire in the communication cable 8, performsnecessary or desired computation, and outputs the processing result asan electrical signal to the inverter (or contactor) 21. Themicroprocessor 20 may be what is known as a one-chip microprocessor, ormay be made up of a plurality of chips, elements, and parts.

The optical rotary encoder 19 measures which way and how many times theremote casing 10 turns from a home position with respect to thecommunication cable 8, and sends the measurement value as an electricalsignal through the communication wire in the communication cable 8 tothe microprocessor 20. When the manipulation switch 11 is pressed, aspecific electrical signal is sent through the communication wire in thecommunication cable 8 to the microprocessor 20, the microprocessor 20sends a control signal to the inverter (or contactor) 21, the inverter(or contactor) 21 supplies drive current to the X axis motor 23 and/orthe Y axis motor 13 according to the control signal, the X axis motor 23and/or the Y axis motor 13 is driven, and the hook 7 serving as themoving body is moved in the direction in which the remote casing 10 isfacing.

The motor drive control circuit 18 that includes the inverter 21 and themicroprocessor 20 performs drive control of the X axis motor 23 and/orthe Y axis motor 13, and a contactor 22 controls the drive of the Z axismotor 16.

Therefore, the motor drive control circuit 18 and the contactor 22constitute a drive control apparatus 61, and this drive controlapparatus 61 and the manipulation remote 9 constitute a movementmanipulation apparatus 60 including the communication cable 8 in FIG. 1.

The X axis motor 23, the Y axis motor 13, and the Z axis motor 16correspond to a movement mechanism 62.

Here, when the inverter 21 is used, continuously variable control of theamount of drive current supplied to the X axis motor 23 and the Y axismotor 13 is possible, so the winder 5 can be moved linearly in thedirection in which the remote casing 10 is facing, but when thecontactor 22 is used, since the amount of drive current supplied to theX axis motor 23 and the Y axis motor 13 should remain the same, thedirection of movement of the hook 7 of the winder 5 should be adirection parallel to the travel rails 2A and 2B, a direction parallelto the crane girder 4, or a direction that is intermediate to these, fora total of eight directions. Therefore, if observed closely, the hook 7of the winder 5 travels in a zigzag path while moving in the directionin which the remote casing 10 is facing.

When the up switch 11A and down switch 11B serving as the up and downswitches and provided to the manipulation remote 9 are pressed, aspecific electrical signal is transmitted through the communication wirein the communication cable 8 to the contactor 22 built into the windermain body 17, just as with the motor drive control circuit 18, and drivecurrent is supplied from the contactor 22 to the Z axis motor 16. Whenthe up switch 11A is pressed, the Z axis motor 16 winds up the supportcable 6 and raises the hook 7, and when the down switch 11B is pressed,the Z axis motor 16 plays out the support cable 6 and lowers the hook 7.

Therefore, an operator operating the overhead crane 1 shown in FIG. 1first presses the down switch 11B on the manipulation remote 9 toactuate the Z axis motor 16 and lower the hook 7, attaches the hook 7 tothe load sitting on the floor, then presses the up switch 11A to actuatethe Z axis motor 16 and wind up the support cable 6 until the load ishanging high enough that its movement in the horizontal direction willnot be impeded. Then, the operator aims the remote casing 10 in thedirection in which the load is to be moved, lightly presses themanipulation switch 11, and fine tunes the orientation of the remotecasing 10 while watching the movement direction of the load hanging onthe hook 7 and moving. This allows the load to be moved in horizontallyin the desired direction.

When the operator lets go of the manipulation switch 11, themanipulation switch 11 returns by spring force and the hook 7 of thewinder 5 stops. After confirming that the load is moving in the properdirection, the operator presses the manipulation switch 11 firmly sothat the manipulation switch 11 stays down, after which the electricalsignal for the direction of the remote casing 10 is no longertransmitted, and a change in the orientation of the remote casing 10will not affect the direction in which the hook 7 of the winder 5 moves.

When the load hanging from the hook 7 of the winder 5 has thus beenmoved horizontally to the desired location, the operator lets go of themanipulation switch 11 (if it had been lightly pressed) or presses itfirmly again (if the manipulation switch 11 was fixed in place) toreturn the manipulation switch 11 and stop the hook 7 of the winder 5,and presses the down switch 11B to actuate the Z axis motor 16 in thedirection of lowering the hook 7, so that the support cable 6 is playedout and the load descends under its own weight, thereby being lowered tothe specified location.

Thus, with the overhead crane 1 pertaining to Embodiment 1, since thehook 7 of the winder 5 is moved in the direction of the remote casing 10by pressing the manipulation switch 11, there is no need for theoperator to look at his hands, and he can adjust the orientation of theremote casing 10 while watching the movement direction of the load, sohe can move the load to the desired location without taking his eyes ofthe load hanging from the hook 7 of the winder 5.

Therefore, even a novice can operate the overhead crane 1 quickly,safely, and reliably, and since the remote casing 10 can have only threeswitches (the manipulation switch 11, the up switch 11A, and the downswitch 11B), even if the remote casing 10 should become soiled (e.g,dirty, covered, or otherwise obstructed from view) through use in apainting facility or the like, there will be no risk of pressing thewrong switch.

Since there is no need to look at his hands, an operator can manipulatea load hanging from the hook 7 of the winder 5 while watching themovement of the load, the overhead crane 1 can be obtained with whicheven a novice can manipulate easily, safely, reliably, and quickly.

In Embodiment 1, a situation was described in which the manipulationswitch 11 was one that can be pressed in two stages, when pressed downfirmly the manipulation switch 11 stayed down, and thereafter a changein the orientation of the remote casing 10 did not affect the movementdirection of the hook 7 of the winder 5, but the switch does notnecessarily have to be one that can be pressed in two stages, and may bea type with which the movement direction of the hook 7 of the winder 5varies according to the orientation of the remote casing 10 as long asthe manipulation switch 11 is held down.

Next, a manipulation remote in a crane apparatus pertaining to amodification of Embodiment 1 will be described through reference to FIG.3( b).

The manipulation remote 9 pertaining to Embodiment 1 above had only onemanipulation switch 11, as shown in FIG. 3( a), and the remote casing 10had to be turned 180 degrees and the manipulation switch 11 pressed inorder to make the hook 7 of the winder 5 move backwards. Specifically,to move the hook 7 of the winder 5 in all directions in the horizontalplane, the remote casing 10 had to be rotated 360 degrees.

In contrast, as shown in FIG. 3( b), with a manipulation remote 9Apertaining to a modification of Embodiment 1, a second manipulationswitch 11C is provided to the rear face of the manipulation switch 11.When the second manipulation switch 11C is pressed, the microprocessor20 in FIG. 4 performs control so that the hook 7 of the winder 5 will bemoved in the opposite direction from the direction of the remote casing10 (180 degree direction).

Consequently, when the hook 7 of the winder 5 is to be moved backward,this can be reliably accomplished by pressing the second manipulationswitch 11C without moving the remote casing 10. Therefore, when the twomanipulation switches 11 and 11C are used in conjunction, the remotecasing 10 only need be rotated within a range of 180 degrees to move thehook 7 of the winder 5 in all directions in the horizontal plane.

Thus, with the overhead crane pertaining to this modification ofEmbodiment 1, the crane can be operated while watching the movement ofthe load hanging from and conveyed by the hook 7 of the winder 5, even anovice can operate the crane easily, safely, reliably, and quickly, andthe operator does not have to move as far, so the work is easier.

Furthermore, with this modification of Embodiment 1, the manipulationswitch 11 and/or the second manipulation switch 11C may be a type thatcan be pressed in two stages, so that the switch stays down when pressedfirmly, and thereafter a change in the orientation of the remote casing10 does not affect the movement direction of the hook 7 of the winder 5,or so that the movement direction of the hook 7 of the winder 5 variesaccording to the orientation of the remote casing 10 as long as themanipulation switch 11 or the second manipulation switch 11C is helddown.

Embodiment 2

Next, an overhead crane will be described through reference to FIGS. 5and 6, as an example of a three-dimensional movement apparatuspertaining to Embodiment 2 of the presently disclosed subject matter.

FIG. 5 is an oblique view of the overall configuration of an overheadcrane, which is an example of the three-dimensional movement apparatuspertaining to Embodiment 2 of the presently disclosed subject matter.

FIG. 6 is an oblique view of the manipulation remote in thethree-dimensional movement apparatus pertaining to Embodiment 2 of thepresently disclosed subject matter.

The overhead crane 1A pertaining to Embodiment 2 of the presentlydisclosed subject matter has the same external appearance as theoverhead crane 1 in Embodiment 1 shown in FIG. 1, except for the portionof a manipulation remote 35, so portions that are the same are numberedthe same as in FIG. 1 and will not be described in detail again. Theconstitution of the motor drive control circuit is also the same as thatin Embodiment 1 shown in FIG. 4, except for the different structure ofthe manipulation switches, so will be discussed through reference toFIG. 4 and will not be described in detail again.

As shown in FIG. 5, with the overhead crane 1A pertaining to Embodiment2, just as discussed in Embodiment 1, a manipulation remote 35 having aflat remote casing 36 different from that in Embodiment 1 is attached tothe lower end of a communication cable 8 having a tube that will bendbut not twist. The remote casing 36 is attached via a rotary connector12 rotatably with respect to the communication cable 8, and a cross key37 (manipulation switch) is provided in the middle of the front face ofthe remote casing 36.

Next, the configuration of the manipulation remote 35 will be describedin reference to FIG. 6.

As shown in FIG. 6, with the manipulation remote 35 pertaining toEmbodiment 2, the cross key 37 is provided as a manipulation switch, asmentioned above, in the middle of the front face of the remote casing36, and an up switch 38A and a down switch 38B are provided as up anddown switches above and below the cross key 37. The upper part 37A,lower part 37B, left part 37C, and right part 37D of the cross key 37can all be of a type that can be pressed in two stages, so that whenpressed lightly, they return under spring force upon being released, andwhen pressed down firmly, they stay in place, and return under springforce when pressed firmly again.

As shown in FIG. 4, a rotary encoder (optical rotary encoder) 19provided inside the rotary connector 12, and data indicating which wayand how many times the remote casing 36 has been turned from an initialposition with respect to the communication cable 8 (in Embodiment 2, thedirection in which the remote casing 36 is facing parallel to the cranegirder 4, as shown in FIG. 5) is sent as an electrical signal through acommunication wire in the communication cable 8 to the microprocessor 20in the winder main body 17.

Here, the cross key 37 serving as the manipulation switch shown in FIG.6 is controlled by the microprocessor 20 and the inverter (or contactor)21 so that the hook 7 of the winder 5 moves horizontally in thedirection of the remote casing 36 when the upper part 37A is pressed,the hook 7 of the winder 5 moves horizontally in the opposite directionfrom the direction of the remote casing 36 (180 degree direction) whenthe lower part 37B is pressed, the hook 7 of the winder 5 moveshorizontally in the 90 degree left direction with respect to the remotecasing 36 when the left part 37C is pressed, and the hook 7 of thewinder 5 moves horizontally in the 90 degree right direction withrespect to the remote casing 36 when the right part 37D is pressed.

Therefore, the hook 7 of the winder 5 can be moved in all directionsover 360 degrees in the horizontal plane merely by rotating the remotecasing 36 within a range of 90 degrees to the left or right from itsinitial position.

Thus, when the hook 7 of the winder 5 is to be moved horizontally to thedesired position, the cross key 37 serving as the manipulation switch isreleased (when lightly held down) or is pressed firmly again (whenpressed firmly and fixed in place) to return the cross key 37 and stopthe hook 7 of the winder 5, and when the down switch 38B is pressed, anelectrical signal is sent through the communication wire in thecommunication cable 8 to the contactor 22 inside the winder main body17, drive current is supplied by the contactor 22 to the Z axis motor16, the Z axis motor 16 is driven in the direction of lowering the hook7, and the support cable 6 is played out so that the load descends underits own weight to the specified location.

Thus, with the overhead crane 1A pertaining to Embodiment 2, since thehook 7 of the winder 5 moves in a specific direction with respect to thedirection of the remote casing 36 when the upper part 37A, lower part37B, left part 37C, or right part 37D of the cross key 37 serving as themanipulation switch is pressed, there is no need for the operator tolook at his hands, and he may adjust the orientation of the remotecasing 36 while watching the movement direction of the load, so he canmove the load to the desired location without taking his eyes off theload hanging from the hook 7 of the winder 5.

Thus, with the overhead crane 1A pertaining to this modification ofEmbodiment 2, there is no need for the operator to look at his hands,and he can operate the crane while watching the movement of the loadhanging from and conveyed by the hook 7 of the winder 5, even a novicecan operate the crane easily, safely, reliably, and quickly, and thework is easier.

With Embodiment 2, a situation was described in which the parts 37A,37B, 37C, and 37D of the cross key 37 serving as the manipulation switchwere a type that can be pressed in two stages, when pressed down firmlythe they stayed down, and thereafter a change in the orientation of theremote casing 36 did not affect the movement direction of the hook 7 ofthe winder 5, but the switches do not necessarily have to be a type thatcan be pressed in two stages, and may be a type with which the movementdirection of the hook 7 of the winder 5 varies according to theorientation of the remote casing 36 as long as the parts 37A, 37B, 37C,and 37D of the cross key 37 are held down.

Embodiment 3

An overhead crane will now be described through reference to FIGS. 7 to9, as an example of the three-dimensional movement apparatus pertainingto Embodiment 3 of the presently disclosed subject matter.

FIG. 7 is an oblique view of the overall configuration of an overheadcrane, which is an example of the three-dimensional movement apparatuspertaining to Embodiment 3 of the presently disclosed subject matter.FIG. 8 is an oblique view of the manipulation remote in thethree-dimensional movement apparatus pertaining to Embodiment 3 of thepresently disclosed subject matter. FIG. 9 is an oblique view of themanipulation remote in a modification of the three-dimensional movementapparatus pertaining to Embodiment 3 of the presently disclosed subjectmatter.

The overhead crane 1B pertaining to Embodiment 3 of the presentlydisclosed subject matter has the same external appearance as theoverhead crane 1 in Embodiment 1 shown in FIG. 1 except for amanipulation remote 40, so portions that are the same are numbered thesame and will not be described in detail again. The constitution of themotor drive control circuit is also the same as that in Embodiment 1shown in FIG. 4, except for the different structure of the manipulationswitches and that the rotary encoder is an absolute encoder, so will bediscussed through reference to FIG. 4 and will not be described indetail again.

As shown in FIG. 7, with the overhead crane 1B, which is an example of athree-dimensional movement apparatus pertaining to Embodiment 3, just asdiscussed n Embodiment 1, the manipulation remote 40 having a flatremote casing 41 and provided with a grip portion that is different thanthose in Embodiment 1 and Embodiment 2 is attached to the lower end of acommunication cable 8 having a tube that will bend but not twist. Theremote casing 41 is attached via a rotary connector 12 rotatably withrespect to the communication cable 8 and perpendicular to the flatplane, and a cross key 42 (manipulation switch) is provided in themiddle of the top face of the remote casing 41.

Next, the configuration of the manipulation remote 40 will be describedin reference to FIG. 8.

As shown in FIG. 8, with the manipulate remote 40 pertaining toEmbodiment 3, the cross key 42 is provided as a manipulation switch tothe top face of the remote casing 41, and a rotary up and down switch 43that doubles as a grip is provided to the distal end of the remotecasing 41. The upper part 42 a, lower part 42 b, left part 42 c, andright part 42 d of the cross key 42 can all be designed so that whenheld down, a specific electrical signal is sent to the microprocessor 20through the communication wire in the communication cable 8, and theyreturn under spring force upon being released.

Even if the operator holds down the remote casing 41 with one hand, theup and down switch 43 is designed not to turn unless the operator exertsforce with the other hand. When the switch is turned to the right, thehook 7 rises, and when it is turned to the left, the hook 7 descends,and the words “up” and “down” are clearly indicated along with arrows onthe surface of the up and down switch 43. This indication may beaccomplished by engraving.

Further, a optical rotary encoder (optical absolute encoder) 19 is builtas a casing direction identification means into the rotary connector 12,and data indicating absolute angle information for the remote casing 41,which tells how many turns the remote casing 41 has made from itsinitial position with respect to the communication cable 8, is sentthrough the communication wire in the communication cable 8 to themicroprocessor 20 inside the winder main body 17. The remote casing 41can rotate to any position 360 degrees around the communication cable 8,as indicated by the imaginary lines (dotted lines) and arrows, but nomatter in which direction it is turned, it is controlled by themicroprocessor 20 shown in FIG. 4 so that when the upper part 42 a ofthe cross key 42 (manipulation switch) is pressed, the hook 7 of thewinder 5 moves in the direction in which the upper part 42 a of themanipulation switch 42 is facing.

Specifically, since data about the direction in which the remote casing41 is currently facing is constantly being sent by the rotary encoder(absolute encoder) 19 to the microprocessor 20, when an electricalsignal indicating that the upper part 42 a of the cross key 42(manipulation switch) is pressed sent to the microprocessor 20, themicroprocessor 20 sends a control signal to the inverter or (contactor)21 so that the hook 7 of the winder 5 will move forward in the directionin which the remote casing 41 is facing at that point, and drive currentis supplied from the inverter or (contactor) 21 to the X axis motor 23and the Y axis motor 13.

Similarly, when the lower part 42 b of the cross key 42 (manipulationswitch) is pressed, the hook 7 of the winder 5 is controlled to movehorizontally in the opposite direction from the direction in which theremote casing 41 is facing at this point; when the left part 42 c of thecross key 42 is pressed, the hook 7 of the winder 5 is controlled tomove horizontally in a direction 90 degrees to the left with respect tothe direction in which the remote casing 41 is facing at this point; andwhen the right part 42 d of the cross key 42 is pressed, the hook 7 ofthe winder 5 is controlled to move horizontally in a direction 90degrees to the right with respect to the direction in which the remotecasing 41 is facing at this point.

Therefore, the hook 7 of the winder 5 can be moved in all directionsover 360 degrees within the horizontal plane merely by rotating theremote casing 41 within a range of 90 degrees to the right or left fromits initial position, and the operator can operate the remote afterturning to a position that affords easy manipulation, so he does nothave to move as far and the manipulation is easier.

Thus, when the hook 7 of the winder 5 is to be moved horizontally to thedesired position, the cross key 42 serving as the manipulation switch isreleased to stop the hook 7 of the winder 5, and when the up and downswitch 43 is turned to the left, an electrical signal is sent throughthe communication cable 8 to the contactor 22 inside the winder mainbody 17, drive current is supplied by the contactor 22 to the Z axismotor 16, the Z axis motor 16 is driven in the direction of lowering thehook 7, and the support cable 6 is played out so that the load descendsunder its own weight to the specified location.

Thus, with the overhead crane 1B pertaining to Embodiment 3, since thehook 7 of the winder 5 moves in a specific direction with respect to thedirection of the remote casing 41 when the upper part 42 a, lower part42 b, left part 42 c, or right part 42 d of the cross key 42 serving asthe manipulation switch is pressed, there is no need for the operator tolook at his hands, and he may adjust the orientation of the remotecasing 41 while watching the movement direction of the load, so he canmove the load to the desired location without taking his eyes off theload hanging from the hook 7 of the winder 5.

Thus, with the overhead crane 1B pertaining to Embodiment 3, there is noneed for the operator to look at his hands, and he can operate the cranewhile watching the movement of the load hanging from and conveyed by thehook 7 of the winder 5, even a novice can manipulate the crane easily,safely, reliably, and quickly, and the work is easier.

Furthermore, with the overhead crane 1B pertaining to Embodiment 3,since an absolute encoder is used as the casing direction identificationmeans, that is, an encoder that not only measures the rotationaldirection and angle as with an ordinary rotary encoder, but also candetect the absolute direction in which the remote casing is currentlyfacing, when the main power supply to the overhead crane 1B is shut offwhen the work is finished, interrupted, etc., and the main power supplyto the overhead crane 1B is then turned back on, the absolute encodercan instantly detect the direction in which the remote casing 41 isfacing, so there is no need for resetting every time the main powersupply to the overhead crane 1B is turned off and on, and manipulationof the overhead crane 1B can start right away.

Next, a manipulation remote 40A pertaining to a modification ofEmbodiment 3 will be described through reference to FIG. 9. As shown inFIG. 9, the overall structure of the manipulation remote 40A pertainingto this modification of Embodiment 3 is similar to that of themanipulation remote 40 shown in FIG. 8. What is different is that a grip44 fixed to the remote casing 41 does not rotate or double as the up anddown switch of the winder main body 17, and instead, as shown in FIG. 9,an up switch 43A and a down switch 43B are provided independently to aside face of the remote casing 41.

Consequently, as shown in FIG. 8, there is no need for the operator tofirst make sure which direction lowers the hook 7 when the grip (up anddown switch) 43 is turned, so the up switch 43A shown in FIG. 9 may bepressed when the hook 7 is to be raised, and the down switch 43B may bepressed when the hook 7 is to be lowered, which means that the operatorcan make quicker decisions and the raising and lowering of the hook 7with the winder main body 17 can be carried out more easily.

Thus, with the overhead crane and manipulation remote 40A pertaining tothis modification of Embodiment 3, the crane can be operated whilewatching the movement of the load hanging from and conveyed by the hook7 of the winder 5, even a novice can operate the crane easily, safely,and reliably, and the raising and lowering manipulations can also becarried out more reliably and quickly.

With Embodiment 3, a situation was described in which the movementdirection of the hook 7 (the moving body) changed according to theorientation of the remote casing 41 as long as the parts 42 a, 42 b, 42c, and 42 d of the cross key 42 (manipulation switch) were held down,but the parts 42 a, 42 b, 42 c, and 42 d of the cross key 42 may be atype that can be pressed in two stages, and may be a type with which theparts stay down when pressed firmly, so that the movement direction ofthe hook 7 (the moving body) does not vary thereafter even if theorientation of the remote casing 41 is changed.

Embodiment 4

An overhead crane will now be described through reference to FIGS. 10and 11, as an example of the three-dimensional movement apparatuspertaining to Embodiment 4 of the presently disclosed subject matter.

FIG. 10 is an oblique view of the overall configuration of an overheadcrane, which is an example of the three-dimensional movement apparatuspertaining to Embodiment 4 of the presently disclosed subject matter.FIG. 11 is an oblique view of the manipulation remote in thethree-dimensional movement apparatus pertaining to Embodiment 4.

The overhead crane 1C pertaining to Embodiment 4 of the presentlydisclosed subject matter has the same external appearance as theoverhead crane 1 in Embodiment 1 shown in FIG. 1 except for amanipulation remote 45, so portions that are the same are numbered thesame and will not be described in detail again.

As shown in FIG. 10, with the overhead crane 1C pertaining to Embodiment4, the manipulation remote 45 having a cuboid remote casing 46 that isdifferent from that in the Embodiments 1 to 3 is attached to the lowerend of a communication cable 8 having a tube that will bend but does nottwist as discussed in Embodiment 1. The remote casing 46 ^([8]) is fixedand attached rotatably with respect to the communication cable 8, andmanipulation switches 47A, 47B, 47C, and 47D are provided to the variousside faces of the cuboid remote casing 46.

The configuration of the manipulation remote 45 will now be describedthrough reference to FIG. 11. As shown in FIG. 11, with the manipulationremote 45 pertaining to Embodiment 4, as mentioned above, the remotecasing 46 is fixed to the lower end of the communication cable 8, andthe manipulation switches 47A, 47B, 47C, and 47D are provided to thefour side faces of the remote casing 46. Also, an up switch 48A and adown switch 48B are provided as up and down switches above and below themanipulation switch 47A on the side face where the manipulation switch47A is provided.

The side faces where the manipulation switches 47A and 47C are providedare parallel to the travel rails 2A and 2B of the overhead crane 1C, andthe side faces where the manipulation switches 47B and 47D are providedare parallel to the saddles 3A and 3B of the overhead crane 1C.

Furthermore, only a contactor can be provided as a control device insidethe winder main body 17, and drive current is supplied to the lateralmotion motor (Y axis motor) 13 or to the X axis motor 23 (not shown)provided to the saddles 3A and 3B, so that the hook 7 of the winder 5shown in FIG. 1 moves along the crane girder 4 to the saddle 3A sidewhen the manipulation switch 47A is pressed, the hook 7 of the winder 5moves along the crane girder 4 to the saddle 3B side when themanipulation switch 47C is pressed, the crane girder 4 moves upward andto the right in FIG. 1 when the manipulation switch 47B is pressed, andthe crane girder 4 moves downward and to the left when the manipulationswitch 47D is pressed.

Therefore, an operator operating the overhead crane 1C can move the hook7 of the winder 5, and in turn the load, in the desired direction bypressing any of the four manipulation switches 47A, 47B, 47C, and 47D ofthe remote casing 46 while watching the load hanging on the hook 7, andparticularly when the load is to be moved diagonally, can move the loadin a zigzag pattern by alternately pressing any two of the manipulationswitches 47A, 47B, 47C, and 47D.

Once the hook 7 of the winder 5 has thus been moved horizontally to thedesired location, the manipulation switches 47A, 47B, 47C, and 47D arereleased to stop the hook 7 of the winder 5, and the down switch 48B ispressed to supply drive current to the Z axis motor 16, so that the Zaxis motor 16 is driven in the direction of lowering the hook 7, thesupport cable 6 is played out, and the load descends under its ownweight to a specific location.

Thus, with the overhead crane 1C pertaining to Embodiment 4, when themanipulation switches 47A, 47B, 47C, and 47D are pressed, the hook 7 ofthe winder 5 moves in the direction of the pressed switch, so theoperator need not look at his hands, and can press the manipulationswitches 47A, 47B, 47C, and 47D while watching the movement direction ofthe load, so he can move the load to the desired location without takinghis eyes off the load hanging from the hook 7 of the winder 5.

Furthermore, with the overhead crane 1C pertaining to Embodiment 4,unlike with Embodiments 1 to 3, a simple structure can be used that doesnot involve any expensive apparatus such as an optical rotary encoder ormicroprocessor, so the apparatus is less expensive and is easy toinstall in smaller facilities, etc.

Thus, with the overhead crane 1C pertaining to Embodiment 4, since thereis no need to look at his hands, an operator can manipulate a loadhanging from the hook 7 of the winder 5 while watching the movement ofthe load, even a novice can manipulate easily, safely, reliably, andquickly, and the cost is reduced.

Embodiment 5

An overhead crane will now be described through reference to FIGS. 12 to14, as an example of the three-dimensional movement apparatus pertainingto Embodiment 5 of the presently disclosed subject matter. FIG. 12 is anoblique view of the overall configuration of an overhead crane, which isan example of the three-dimensional movement apparatus pertaining toEmbodiment 5 of the presently disclosed subject matter. FIG. 13( a) is afront view of the overall configuration of a remote casing of amanipulation remote in the three-dimensional movement apparatuspertaining to Embodiment 5 of the presently disclosed subject matter,and FIG. 13( b) is a left side view. FIG. 14 is a block diagramillustrating the control of the manipulation remote in thethree-dimensional movement apparatus pertaining to Embodiment 5 of thepresently disclosed subject matter.

The overhead crane 1D pertaining to Embodiment 5 of the presentlydisclosed subject matter has the same external appearance as theoverhead crane 1 in Embodiment 1 shown in FIG. 1, except that there isno communication cable 8, and except for the manipulation remote 50portion and the configuration of the motor drive control circuit in thewinder, so portions that are the same are numbered the same and will notbe described in detail again.

As shown in FIG. 12, the most prominent difference to the overhead crane1D pertaining to Embodiment 5 is that it employs wireless manipulation,as opposed to the wired manipulation using the communication cable 8 ofthe overhead cranes in Embodiments 1 to 4.

Specifically, with Embodiment 5, as shown in FIG. 14, a radio wavetransmitter 30 is built into a remote casing 51, a radio wave receiver31 is built into a winder 29, and when a cross key 52 (manipulationswitch) or the like in the remote casing 51 is pressed, this data isconverted into a wireless signal and sent as a radio wave from the radiowave transmitter 30, the radio wave receiver 31 receives this radio waveand converts it into an electrical signal, and this is inputted to aninput/output (I/O) port on the microprocessor 20 inside a motor drivecontrol circuit 28, so that the movement of the hook 7 (the moving body)is controlled.

Therefore, while this is somewhat more expensive, movement of the hook 7can be controlled from anywhere in the building in which the overheadcrane 1D is installed, so the overhead crane 1D is safer and extremelyeasy to use.

First, the internal structure of the remote casing 51 and the winder 29will be described through reference to FIG. 14. As shown in FIG. 14,with Embodiment 5, a microprocessor 27 is also built into the remotecasing 51, and this microprocessor 27 is similar to the microprocessor20 in that it is equipped with a CPU (central processing unit), ROM,RAM, or other such memory apparatus, and an input/output (I/O)apparatus. Further, a piezoelectric gyro 25 and a geomagnetism sensor 26are built into the remote casing 51, and the bearing in which the remotecasing 51 is facing is detected by the piezoelectric gyro 25 from therotation of the remote casing 51.

Also, a reset button 55 is provided in addition to a manipulation switch52, an up switch 53A, and a down switch 53B. This reset button 55 ispressed when detection of the bearing by the piezoelectric gyro 25 hasbecome skewed, allowing the bearing of true north as measured accuratelyby the geomagnetism sensor 26 to be reset to the reference direction ofthe piezoelectric gyro 25 (the direction of a bearing of zero degrees).

Electrical signals from the piezoelectric gyro 25, the geomagnetismsensor 26, the manipulation switch 52, the up switch 53A, the downswitch 53B, and the reset button 55 are inputted to the microprocessor27, and computations are performed according to a program stored in thememory apparatus of the microprocessor 27, after which the result issent as a control signal to the transmitter 30, and a radio wave istransmitted from the transmitter 30.

Meanwhile, the microprocessor 20 is built into the interior of thewinder 29 just as in FIG. 4, an electrical signal is inputted from thereceiver 31 that receives the radio wave transmitted from thetransmitter 30, and computations are performed according to a programstored in the memory apparatus of the microprocessor 20, after which acontrol signal is sent as an electrical signal to the inverter or(contactor) 21 and the contactor 22, drive current corresponding to thecontrol signal is supplied from the inverter or (contactor) 21 to the Xaxis motor 23 and the Y axis motor 13, and drive current is suppliedfrom the contactor 22 to the Z axis motor 16.

Next, control of the movement direction of the hook 7 (moving body) inEmbodiment 5 will be described through reference to FIGS. 13( a) and 14.In FIG. 13( a), let us assume that the remote casing 51 is supportedsubstantially horizontally. As shown in FIG. 13( a), when the distal endof the remote casing 51 ^([9]) is facing to the west by an angle of θdegrees with respect to the zero degree direction (true north direction)of the piezoelectric gyro 25, and the upper part of the cross key 52(manipulation switch) is pressed, the piezoelectric gyro 25 detects thatthe orientation is to the west by an angle of θ degrees with respect tothe true north direction, and this data signal is sent to themicroprocessor 27.

The microprocessor 27 thereupon determines that the remote casing 51 isfacing to the west by an angle of θ degrees with respect to the truenorth direction, and that the upper part of the cross key 52 has beenpressed, and a control signal is sent to the transmitter 30 so as tomove the hook 7 to the west by an angle of θ degrees with respect to thetrue north direction. The control signal received by the receiver 31upon receipt of the control signal transmitted as a wireless radiosignal from the transmitter 30 is sent as an electrical signal by themicroprocessor 20 to the inverter 21, and the necessary or desired drivecurrent is supplied from the inverter 21 to the X axis motor 23 and theY axis motor 13 so as to move the winder 29 to the west by an angle of θdegrees with respect to the true north direction.

In FIG. 13( a), when the right part 52A of the cross key 52(manipulation switch) is pressed, the microprocessor 27 determines thatthe remote casing 51 is facing to the west by an angle of θ degrees withrespect to the true north direction, and that the right part 52A of thecross key 52 has been pressed, and a control signal is sent to thetransmitter 30 so as to move the hook 7 to the west by an angle of(θ−90) degrees with respect to the true north direction, that is, to theeast by an angle of (90−θ) degrees. The inverter 21 is controlled by themicroprocessor 20 that has received the control signal, and necessary ordesired drive current is supplied to the X axis motor 23 and the Y axismotor 13 so as to move the hook 7 to the east by an angle of (90−θ)degrees with respect to the true north direction.

In FIG. 13( a), it is assumed that the remote casing 51 ^([9]) issupported substantially horizontally, but even if the remote casing 51^([9]) is tilted in the forward and backward direction or the left andright direction, the piezoelectric gyro 25 will detect which directionthe remote casing 51 is facing in the horizontal plane, and movement ofthe hook 7 (the moving body) will be controlled in a similar fashion.However, if the remote casing 51 ^([9]) is tilted by more than about 90degrees in the forward and backward direction or the left and rightdirection, the bearing cannot be corrected by the piezoelectric gyro 25,so the hook 7 (the moving body) will not move when the cross key 52 ispressed.

Therefore, an operator operating the overhead crane 1D pertaining toEmbodiment 5 moves the hook 7 of the winder 29 to directly above theload by pressing any of the upper, lower, left, and right parts of thecross key 52 on the manipulation remote 50 at some place away from thehook 7 of the winder 29 and the load sitting on the floor, and aimingthe remote casing 51 in the appropriate direction. Then, as shown inFIG. 13( b), the down switch 53B provided to the left side face of theremote casing 51 is pressed, the Z axis motor 16 is driven, and the hook7 is lowered until it reaches the load.

Then, the operator moves over to the load and attaches the hook 7 to theload, moves back to a position away from the load, and presses the upswitch 53A provided to the left side face of the remote casing 51 asshown in FIG. 13( b), which drives the Z axis motor 16 and raises thehook 7 until the load is hanging high enough that its movement in thehorizontal direction will not be impeded. The operator then moves thehook 7 of the winder 29 to directly above the load by pressing any ofthe upper, lower, left, and right parts of the cross key 52 on themanipulation remote 50 and aiming the remote casing 51 in theappropriate direction. Once the hook 7 of the winder 29 moves todirectly above the load, the cross key 52 of the manipulation remote 50is released to stop the hook 7 of the winder 29, and the down switch 53Bis pressed to drive the Z axis motor 16 and lower the hook 7 and theload to the specific place.

Thus, with the overhead crane 1D pertaining to Embodiment 5, to move thehook 7 of the winder 29 using wireless radio waves, the operator canoperate the overhead crane 1D from anywhere in the building in which theoverhead crane 1D is installed, so there is no need for him to look athis hands, and he can operate the crane while watching the movement ofthe load, so even a novice can manipulate the overhead crane 1D easily,safely, reliably, and quickly.

With the piezoelectric gyro 25 here, detection of the bearing oftenbecomes skewed over time, so if the operator determines that detectionof the bearing has become skewed, he can press the reset button 55provided to the left side face of the remote casing 51 as shown in FIG.13( b), and reset the bearing of true north as measured accurately bythe geomagnetism sensor 26 to the reference direction of thepiezoelectric gyro 25 (the direction of a bearing of zero degrees).

With the overhead crane 1D pertaining to Embodiment 5, a situation wasdescribed in which the geomagnetism sensor 26 was used to compensate forskewing of bearing detection, but if the compass directions areaccurately known in the building in which the overhead crane 1D isinstalled, then the geomagnetism sensor 26 is not required and theoperator can press the reset button 55 in a state in which the remotecasing 51 of the manipulation remote 50 is facing true north, allowingthe accurate true north bearing to be reset to the reference directionof the piezoelectric gyro 25 (the direction of a bearing of zerodegrees).

Also, in Embodiment 5, a situation was described in which the movementdirection of the hook 7 (the moving body) varies according to theorientation of the remote casing 51 as long as the part 52A and so forthof the cross key 52 (manipulation switch) are held down, but the part52A and so forth of the cross key 52 may instead be a type that can bepressed in two stages, and may be a type with which the parts stay downwhen pressed firmly, so that the movement direction of the hook 7 of thewinder 29 does not vary thereafter even if the orientation of the remotecasing 51 is changed.

Further, in Embodiment 5, a situation was described in which a radiowave communication apparatus was used as the method for wirelesscommunication, but light can be used instead of radio waves. Light,unlike radio waves, has the disadvantage that the transmission of asignal will be blocked if there is an obstacle between the transmitter(light emitting apparatus) and the receiver (light receiving apparatus),but an advantage is that an optical communication apparatus is far lessexpensive than a radio wave communication apparatus. Therefore, theoperating system of an overhead crane featuring wireless communicationcan be constructed inexpensively.

Also, since the overhead crane 1D serving as the three-dimensionalmovement apparatus pertaining to Embodiment 5 is operated wirelessly,the manipulation remote 50 can have its own power supply, if the powersupply for the manipulation remote 50 is a rechargeable battery, thecharger may be fixed within the building so that when the manipulationremote 50 is placed in the charger, the orientation of the remote casing51 will be parallel (or perpendicular) to the travel rails 2A and 2B ofthe overhead crane 1D.

Consequently, when the main power supply to the overhead crane 1D isshut off when the work is finished, interrupted, etc., placing themanipulation remote 50 in the charger results in a state in which theremote casing 51 is facing a specific home direction, and resetting canbe performed by turning on the main power switch provided to themanipulation remote 50, or the main power switch provided somewhereelse, and driving the X axis motor 23, the Y axis motor 13, and the Zaxis motor 16 so that the hook 7 is moved to a specific home position.Reliable resetting can be accomplished even when the main power switchto the overhead crane 1D is repeatedly turned off and off.

In the embodiments discussed above, only an overhead crane was describedas an example of the three-dimensional movement apparatus pertaining tothe presently disclosed subject matter, but the three-dimensionalmovement apparatus is not limited to an overhead crane. By contrast, thepresently disclosed subject matter can be used in a wide range ofapplications, such as mobile harbor cranes, vehicle-mounted cranes, jibcranes, and various other crane apparatus, as well as aerial workplatforms (including self-propelled aerial work platforms),radio-controlled airplanes and helicopters, and so on.

Also, in the above embodiments, only an example of disposing the motordrive control circuit in the winder was described, but the motor drivecontrol circuit is not limited to being disposed in a winder, and may bedisposed in the casing near the winder.

In working the presently disclosed subject matter, the configuration,shape, quantity, material, size, connection relationship, and so forthof the three-dimensional movement apparatus and other portions are notlimited to what was discussed in the above embodiments, and other modescan be employed as needed.

Embodiment 6

The three-dimensional movement apparatus pertaining to Embodiment 6 ofthe presently disclosed subject matter will be described. ThisEmbodiment 6 is the same as Embodiment 1 above, except that the blockdiagram indicating the control mechanism in the overhead crane servingas the three-dimensional movement apparatus is different. Therefore,only this block diagram will be described, through reference to FIG. 15,and the rest of the description will be omitted.

FIG. 15 is a block diagram showing the control mechanism in the overheadcrane serving as the three-dimensional movement apparatus pertaining toEmbodiment 6. FIGS. 1, 2, 3(a), and 3(b) are an oblique view of theoverall configuration of the overhead crane serving as thethree-dimensional movement apparatus pertaining to Embodiment 6, adiagram of the structure of the winder serving as the lifting device ofthe overhead crane, and oblique views of the overhead crane manipulationremote and the remote casing portion in a modification thereof,respectively. Since these have already been described in Embodiment 1,only FIG. 15 will be described here.

In FIG. 15, 9 is a manipulation remote, 10 is a remote casing, 11 is amanipulation switch, 11A is an up switch, 11B is a down switch, 13 is aY axis motor, 16 is a Z axis motor, 18 is a motor drive control circuit,19 is a rotary encoder, 20 is a microprocessor, 21A is an inverter, and23 is an X axis motor. The rotary encoder 19 can be replaced by a gyromechanism. The inverter 21 is actually a combination of three invertersfor controlling the drive of the X axis motor 23, the Y axis motor 13,and the Z axis motor 16.

The output signals from the manipulation switch 11, the up switch 11A,the down switch 11B, and the rotary encoder 19 are inputted to themicroprocessor 20. These signals are supplied to the microprocessor 20through a signal transmission cable 8 serving as the slender member ordisposed in the slender member.

A control signal for controlling the inverter 21 is produced by themicroprocessor 20 on the basis of these input signals. This controlsignal comes in three types, corresponding to the manipulation of theinverter 21 for controlling the drive or rotational speed of the X axismotor 23, the Y axis motor 13, and the Z axis motor 16, respectively.The inverter 21 controls the frequency and voltage of the AC powersupplies of the X axis motor 23, the Y axis motor 13, and the Z axismotor 16 on the basis of these three kinds of control signal. Thiscontrols the rotation of each of the motors. As a result, with theoverhead crane 1, pressing the manipulation switch 11 moves the hook 7of the winder 5 in the direction of the remote casing 10.

Accordingly, the operator moves the hook 7 of the winder 5 in thedirection of the remote casing 10 by pressing the manipulation switch11, so he does not need to look at his hands, and may adjust theorientation of the remote casing 10 while watching the movementdirection of the load, which means that he can move the load to thedesired location without taking his eyes off the load hanging from thehook 7 of the winder 5.

Therefore, even a novice can operate the overhead crane 1 quickly,safely, and reliably, and since there are only three switches on theremote casing 10 (the manipulation switch 11, the up switch 11A, and thedown switch 11B), even if the remote casing 10 should become soiledthrough use in a painting facility or the like, there will be no risk ofpressing the wrong switch. Since there is no need to look at his hands,the operator can operate the crane while watching the movement of theload hanging from the hook 7 of the winder 5, and even a novice canoperate the overhead crane 1 easily, safely, reliably, and quickly.

Embodiment 7

The three-dimensional movement apparatus pertaining to Embodiment 7 willbe described. Just as was Embodiment 6, Embodiment 7 is the same asEmbodiment 1 above, except that the block diagram indicating the controlmechanism in the overhead crane serving as the three-dimensionalmovement apparatus is different. Therefore, only this block diagram willbe described, through reference to FIG. 16, and the rest of thedescription will be omitted.

FIG. 16 is a block diagram showing the control mechanism in the overheadcrane serving as the three-dimensional movement apparatus pertaining toEmbodiment 7. FIGS. 1, 2, 3(a), and 3(b) are an oblique view of theoverall configuration of the overhead crane serving as thethree-dimensional movement apparatus pertaining to Embodiment 6, adiagram of the structure of the winder serving as the lifting device ofthe overhead crane, and oblique views of the overhead crane manipulationremote and the remote casing portion in a modification thereof,respectively. Since these have already been described in Embodiment 1,only FIG. 16 will be described here.

In FIG. 16, 9 is a manipulation remote, 10 is a remote casing, 11 is amanipulation switch, 11A is an up switch, 11B is a down switch, 13 is aY axis motor, 16 is a Z axis motor, 18 is a motor drive control circuit,19 is a rotary encoder, 20 is a microprocessor, 21 and 22A are each aninverter (or contactor), and 23 is an X axis motor. The rotary encoder19 can be replaced by a gyro mechanism. The inverter 21 is actually acombination of two inverters for controlling the drive of the X axismotor 23 and the Y axis motor 13.

The output signals from the manipulation switch 11, the up switch 11A,the down switch 11B, and the rotary encoder 19 are inputted to themicroprocessor 20. These signals are supplied to the microprocessor 20through a signal transmission cable 8 serving as the slender member ordisposed in the slender member. A control signal for controlling theinverter 21 and the inverter 22A is produced by the microprocessor 20 onthe basis of these input signals.

This control signal comes in three types, corresponding to themanipulation of the inverter 21 and the inverter 22A for controlling thedrive or rotational speed of the X axis motor 23, the Y axis motor 13,and the Z axis motor 16, respectively. These three kinds of controlsignal are supplied to the inverter 21 and the inverter 22A through thesignal transmission cable 8 serving as the slender member or disposed inthe slender member.

The inverters 21 and 22A control the frequency and voltage of the ACpower supplies of the X axis motor 23, the Y axis motor 13, and the Zaxis motor 16 on the basis of these control signals. This controls therotation of each of the motors. As a result, with the overhead crane 1,pressing the manipulation switch 11 moves the hook 7 of the winder 5 inthe direction of the remote casing 10.

A control signal for controlling the inverter 21 and the inverter 22A isproduced by the microprocessor 20 on the basis of these input signals.This control signal comes in three types, corresponding to themanipulation of the inverter 21 for controlling the drive or rotationalspeed of the X axis motor 23, the Y axis motor 13, and the Z axis motor16, respectively. The inverters 21 and 22A control the frequency andvoltage of the AC power supplies of the X axis motor 23, the Y axismotor 13, and the Z axis motor 16 on the basis of these three kinds ofcontrol signals. This controls the rotation of each of the motors. As aresult, with the overhead crane 1, pressing the manipulation switch 11moves the hook 7 of the winder 5 in the direction of the remote casing10.

Accordingly, the operator moves the hook 7 of the winder 5 in thedirection of the remote casing 10 by pressing the manipulation switch11, so he does not need to look at his hands, and may adjust theorientation of the remote casing 10 while watching the movementdirection of the load, which means that he can move the load to thedesired location without taking his eyes off the load hanging from thehook 7 of the winder 5.

Therefore, even a novice can operate the overhead crane 1 quickly,safely, and reliably, and since there can be only three switches on theremote casing 10 (the manipulation switch 11, the up switch 11A, and thedown switch 11B), even if the remote casing 10 should become soiledthrough use in a painting facility or the like, there will be no risk ofpressing the wrong switch. Since there is no need to look at his hands,the operator can operate the crane while watching the movement of theload hanging from the hook 7 of the winder 5, and even a novice canoperate the overhead crane 1 easily, safely, reliably, and quickly.

In the block diagram of the control mechanism shown in FIGS. 4 and 15,the microprocessor 20 constitutes part of a drive control apparatus (andparticularly a motor drive control circuit), but in the block diagramshown in FIG. 16, the microprocessor 20 constitutes part of themanipulation remote 9. Specifically, with the control mechanism shown inFIG. 16, the microprocessor 20, which is part of the drive controlapparatus and the manipulation remote, is disposed at one end of theslender member 8, and the inverters or (contactors) 21 and 22A, whichmake up the rest of the drive control apparatus, as well as the X axismotor 23, the Y axis motor 13, and the Z axis motor 16 (the movementmechanism) are incorporated at the other end of the slender member 8,and constituted integrally. This configuration makes the manipulationremote 9 multi-functional, and has the secondary benefit that most ofthe adjustment and maintenance required or desired for controlling themovement of the moving body can be handled by adjusting and maintainingthe apparatus or device disposed at one end of the slender member.

Embodiment 8

Next, the overhead crane 1 serving as the three-dimensional movementapparatus pertaining to Embodiment 8 of the presently disclosed subjectmatter will be described.

FIG. 17( a) is a simplified front view of the overhead crane pertainingto this embodiment. Those components that are the same as in theembodiment in FIG. 1 are numbered the same and will not be describedagain, and only the difference will be discussed below.

In this embodiment, a communication cable extending from the winder 5 tothe remote casing 10 will sag under its own weight if it is itselfflexible or if the slender member that serve as its case is flexible,and the bent portion can block the field of vision of the operator orget in the way of the load. In view of this, in this embodiment theslender member is made just stiff enough that it can support the mainpart of the communication cable while still affording freedom ofmovement to the remote casing 10.

In the drawings, a communication cable (slender member) that will bendbut does not twist hangs down from the winder 5 to near the floor, andthe remote casing 10 is connected to the lower end of this slendermember.

A cargo N serving as the load is fixed via a support means 7-1 to thesupport cable 6 hanging down from the winder 5.

As the above-mentioned slender member, the communication cable can beformed from the same material as in the other embodiments, but acharacteristic feature of this embodiment is that the slender membercomprises at least two rod-like members and a connecting member thatbendably connects these rod-like members.

More specifically, the slender member can be one in which thecommunication cable is passed through the inside of the slender memberas with a flexible metal electrical wire tube or a vinyl-coveredflexible metal electrical wire tube, but need not have a tubularstructure, and may be a rod-like member whose cross sectional shape iscircular, elliptical, or oval.

In this embodiment, as shown in the drawings, the slender membercomprises four rod-like members B1, B2, B3, and B4 are disposed inseries, and these are connected by connecting members 65, 66, and 67.

The connecting members can all have the same structure, so just theconnecting member 67 will be described. This connecting member 67 istypically a universal joint. Specifically, a universal joint consists oftwo U-shaped yokes each of which is connected to the end of a shaft, andthese yokes are rotatably connected to their respective shafts usingrevolute (turning) pair.

Consequently, the remote casing 10 is able to rotate around the axisindicated by the arrow, with respect to an imaginary center axis Cextending in the lengthwise direction of the slender member B4, and asindicated by the dotted lines, is able to bend at a specific angle withrespect to the axis C.

Accordingly, since a signal production means for producing a signalrelated to the rotational direction or rotational amount of the remotecasing 10 is formed inside the remote casing 10 as mentioned above, thissignal is used for control, allowing the cargo N (load) to be movedaccording to the rotational direction or rotational amount of the remotecasing 10.

As to the direction in which the cargo N is conveyed, which isdetermined according to the rotational direction or rotational amount ofthe remote casing 10, it is possible, for example, to provide someequipment near the ceiling of the room in which the overhead crane 1 isinstalled so that the direction will be displayed, using an LED (lightemitting diode) or other suitable light emitting means, before the cargoN is actually conveyed.

FIGS. 17( a) and 17(b) are diagrams illustrating the layout of thecommunication cable extending from the winder 5 to the remote casing 10.

As shown in FIG. 17( a), a communication cable L is disposedsubstantially parallel to the slender members B2 and B3, and theparallel portions are fixed to the corresponding slender members byadhesive bonding or some other such means. The communication cable L isnot fixed at the place corresponding to the connecting member 66 thatlinks B2 and B3, and instead is looped around this place to affordfreedom of movement of the connecting member 66.

Furthermore, although the communication cable L can be somewhat longerthan the slender member, it should not be so long that the communicationcable L sags in portions.

In the example shown in FIG. 17( c), the communication cable L is makeconsiderably longer than the slender members B2 and B3, and is partiallyfixed to parts of the slender members B2 and B3 at places away from theconnecting member 66. An advantage to doing it this way is that thecommunication cable L can be attached to and removed from the slendermembers B2 and B3 more easily.

Embodiment 9

FIGS. 18 and 19 illustrate an embodiment related to the specificconfiguration of the manipulation remote 9.

FIG. 18 is a vertical cross section showing the simplified configurationof the manipulation remote 9, FIG. 19 is a cross section along the A-Aline in FIG. 18, and FIG. 20 is a vertically cut away end view showingthe details of the manipulation remote 9 in FIG. 18.

In these drawings, the manipulation remote 9 has a main shaft 71 that isan object that passes vertically through the interior of the remotecasing 10, and the remote casing 10 is constituted so as to be able torotate relatively as indicated by the arrow C around the axis of themain shaft 71.

The main shaft 71 either is formed integrally with the slender member8-1 discussed in reference to FIG. 17, etc., or with the lower end ofthe rod-like member B4 located at the bottom of the plurality ofrod-like members that constitute this slender member, or is linked orconnected so as to extend in the lengthwise direction of the rod-likemember B4.

In this embodiment, the remote casing 10 rotates around the main shaft71 via ball bearings 72, 72 as shown in FIG. 20, for example. An encoder73 is fixed to the main shaft 71 and disposed near the lower end of themain shaft 71, and the rotational shaft of the encoder 73 is linked toor integrated with the remote casing 10.

A plurality of disks are disposed at regular intervals in the lengthwisedirection of the main shaft 71. In this embodiment there are threedisks, and signal generation means are disposed at regular intervalsaround the periphery of the disks 81, 82, and 83.

In this embodiment, the signal generation means comprises, for example,a plurality of optical sensors consisting of (or comprising) pairedlight receiving elements. Instead of being an optical sensor, the signalgeneration means can be a “magnetic sensor”, a “proximity sensor”, oranother such non-contact sensor. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG.19, four of the optical sensors are provided (numbered 91, 92, 93, and94) to each of the disks 81, 82, and 83.

Push buttons 74, 75, and 76 are disposed in a row as switching means (orswitching apparatus), at regular intervals in the vertical direction,and corresponding to the various disks, on one face of the remote casing10 (this one face shall be called the “front”). Although not depicted inFIG. 18, as shown in FIG. 20, these push buttons are also provided onthe rear face as indicated by the numbers 77, 78, and 79.

Each push button has a baffle that is integrated with the button and islocated inside the remote casing 10, as a member that works insynchronization with the button. Since the push buttons can all have thesame structure, just the push button 76 will be described as an example.As shown in FIG. 20, the push button 76 sticking out from the remotecasing 10 is biased outward by a coil spring or other such biasingmeans, and is configured as a two-stage push button, for example. Thatis, when pressed lightly, the push button 76 does not stay down andreturns by biasing force, but when pressed firmly, it stays presseddown, and returns when pressed firmly again. Inside the remote casing10, a baffle 86 that is integral with the push button 76 moves in andout in synchronization with the movement of the push button 76.

FIG. 21 will now be described.

As shown in this drawing, the baffle 86 that works in synchronizationwith the push button 76 has at its inner end a curved face with an arcthat is greater than the periphery of the disk 83, and when the pushbutton is pressed, the baffle 86 is inserted into the optical path ofthe light emitting elements of the optical sensors provided at 90 degreeintervals on the disk 83. The structure is the same for a baffle 89 thatis provided opposite the baffle 86 and provided integrally with the pushbutton 79 in FIG. 20.

Accordingly, when the push button 79 is pressed, the baffle 86 isinserted into the optical path of the light emitting elements of theoptical sensors provided at 90 degree intervals on the disk 83, and whenthis push button returns under biasing force, the baffle 86 comes out ofthe optical path of the optical sensors.

Consequently, when the push button 79 is pressed, light from the lightemitting elements on the face of the baffle 86 that is opposite theoptical sensors is reflected, and when the reflected light of theoptical sensors is incident on the light receiving elements, it issubjected to opto-electrical conversion and detected as an electricalsignal.

Specifically, as shown in FIG. 21, in the state in FIG. 21( c), if theorientation of the remote casing 10 is zero degrees, then rotation ofthe remote casing 10 is detected by 45 degrees in FIG. 21( a) and by22.5 degrees in FIG. 21( b).

FIGS. 22 and 23 show the relationship between the pressing of the pushbutton and the direction command. Explanation is provided accordingly inreference to FIG. 20.

In plan view, the left side of the cuboid remote casing 10 that islonger in one direction is the forward direction, while the right sideis the backward direction.

In FIG. 22( a), when the push button 76 is pressed in a state in whichthe remote casing 10 is positioned horizontally in the drawing, thebaffle 86 moves in the direction of the arrow a, and the optical sensor92 is switched, which results in indication of movement in the forwarddirection A.

Conversely, in FIG. 22( b), when the push button 79 is pressed, thebaffle 89 moves in the direction of the arrow b, and the optical sensor94 is switched, which results in indication of movement in the backwarddirection B.

In contrast, in FIG. 23( a), when the push button 76 is pressed in astate in which the remote casing 10 is tilted by about 45 degrees fromthe horizontal in the drawing, the baffle 86 moves in the direction ofthe arrow a, and the optical sensors 92 and 93 are switched at the sametime, which results in indication of movement diagonally in the forwarddirection A.

In FIG. 23( b), when the push button 79 is pressed, the baffle 89 movesin the direction of the arrow b, and the optical sensors 91 and 94 areswitched at the same time, which results in indication of movementdiagonally in the backward direction B.

Thus, with this embodiment, the direction in which the casing is facingis detected from the relationship to the rotational detection positionof the encoder 73, and this is used in combination with the angleinformation of the encoder 73 to detect whether the push button on thefront side has been pressed, or the push button on the rear side hasbeen pressed, and to determine whether the command will be for forwardor backward movement.

Furthermore, because in this embodiment the electrical parts, andparticularly the circuits and power supply means, are disposed along themain shaft 71 via the slender member, the remote casing 10 can rotatefree of restriction and without being affected by signal wires or thelike.

Also, angle information can be detected by the encoder 73 from theorientation of the remote casing 10, regardless of whether or not thepush buttons have been moved forward or backward, so as described above,the direction in which the crane is traveling can be easily ascertainedbefore the travel begins, according to the orientation of the remotecasing 10, by looking at a display means provided inside the facility.

Furthermore, with this embodiment optical sensors are provided on disksthat rotate along with the main shaft 71, but the optical sensors may beprovided on the side where the baffle moves back and forth integrallywith the push button, and a switching means that is moved in and out ofthe optical path of the optical sensors may be provided on the mainshaft 71 side.

FIG. 24 is a block diagram of the control mechanism in an overhead craneserving as a three-dimensional movement apparatus pertaining to anembodiment when the above-mentioned optical sensors are incorporatedinto the manipulation remote. Basically, the structure is the same asthat shown in FIG. 4, but a part of it is shown in greater detail.Therefore, the following description will focus on the characteristicfeatures, and redundant description of the structure in FIG. 4 will beomitted.

Angle information from the encoder 73 and switch information from amanipulation switch 11-1 of the optical sensor are sent through a signaltransmission driver/receiver 111 to an input interface 102, and inputtedvia the input interface 102 to the microprocessor 20.

The signal from a limit switch 101 (not shown), which is disposed at theend, etc., of the travel rails 2A and 2B, etc., in FIG. 1, for example,is inputted to the input interface 102, and if the movement is about toexceed the travel range, this signal is inputted through the inputinterface 102 to the microprocessor 20 to stop the travel.

The microprocessor 20 computes command information that is necessary ordesired for the movement mechanism 62 so as to match the commandcorresponding to the angle information from the encoder 73 via thesignal transmission driver/receiver 111 and the switch information fromthe manipulation switch 11-1 of the optical sensor, this is converted tocommand voltage by a D/A (digital/analog) converter 105, and this isimparted to inverter speed controllers 109 and 110 for the X and Y axes.The inverter speed controllers 109 and 110 drive the X axis motor 23 andthe Y axis motor 13.

The microprocessor 20 also issues a command to a winder driver 108 anddrives the Z axis motor 16. Further, the microprocessor 20 controls theinverter 73 via an inverter power supply controller 107. Themicroprocessor 20 can display the crane travel direction based on theangle information from the encoder 73 and the switch information fromthe manipulation switch 11-1 of the optical sensor on a display servingas the display means 106 installed in the facility, so that everyone inaround the facility, etc., an see the travel direction.

FIG. 25 is a flowchart of an example of the manipulation of an overheadcrane serving as the three-dimensional movement apparatus in FIG. 24.

When the power is turned on, the system is actuated (ST1), a systemdiagnostic sequence is executed by the microprocessor 20, and it isdetermined whether or not the system is normal (ST2). If a positiveresult is obtained here, the microprocessor 20 turns on the power to theencoder 73 via the inverter power supply controller 107 (ST3), anddetermines whether or not the encoder 73 is normal (ST4).

If a positive result is obtained here, it is displayed that the systemcan operate normally (ST5), and the current position and state of theencoder 73 is confirmed from its angle information (ST6).

The encoder here may be an ordinary rotary encoder, but can also be anabsolute encoder. That is, while an ordinary rotary encoder can measurethe rotational direction and angle of the remote casing 10, an absoluteencoder can measure the absolute direction in which the remote casing isactually facing.

Accordingly, in certain applications, there is no need for constantoutput of the absolute angle from the time when the power is turned on,and to perform a home point return manipulation, and the absolute angleoutput will remain correct as long as the encoder main body does not endup being rotated. Consequently, computation for finding the direction ofthe remote casing from the output signal of the encoder is easier.

In this state, if any of the push buttons is pressed on the movementmanipulation apparatus 60 (the manipulation remote), the microprocessor20 computes the crane travel direction and issues the required ordesired commands as discussed above (ST8).

FIG. 26 will be described on the basis of the angle sent out by theencoder 73.

This drawing illustrates how a speed command is sent to the inverterspeed controllers 109 and 110 for the X and Y axes.

In this embodiment, the encoder 73 usually can control the motor outputfrom a stopped state up to the highest speed, in proportion to thevoltage, over a voltage range of minus 10 V (volts) to 10 V (this isreversed on the negative side).

Looking from the zero degrees direction in the drawing, for the crane totravel clockwise by 250 degrees, the following voltages are inputted tothe inverter speed controllers 109 and 110 of the X and Y axes, allowingtravel in the direction of the arrow A in the drawing.X axis speed=minus cos 20 degrees×10 (V)=minus 9.4 (V)Y axis speed=minus sin 20 degrees×10 (V)=minus 3.4 (V)

When the push button is then switched off (ST9), the voltage inputted tothe inverter speed controllers 109 and 110 of the X and Y axes is alsoshut off, and the travel stops (ST10).

An inverter was used as the motor drive control circuit in thisembodiment.

However, an “inverter” is a motor driver for controlling the speed,torque, and braking of an AC induction motor commonly used in cranes,but it is also possible to use a “servo driver” for driving a servomotor, a “stepping motor driver” for driving a stepping motor, or thelike, and the combination of motor and driver can be varied as dictatedby the usage mode.

In this case, if a servo motor and a servo driver is used for each axis,for example, the microprocessor will be able to ascertain numericalvalues for all the positions of a parallelepiped (imaginary range)within the crane manipulation range constituted by the X, Y, and Z axes.

Consequently, when the work entails repeated back and forth movementbetween two points, position information for those two points, or more,can be individually stored in the microprocessor, the necessary ordesired points can be called up just before the operator performs amanipulation command, and the system can easily move the crane to thespecified point by sending out a manipulation command. Also, it ispossible to construct a system in which multipoint registration is usedto specify a registered point as a passage point, and the crane isoperated while following a predetermined path.

The scope of the presently disclosed subject matter is not limited to orby the embodiments given above. The various embodiments given above maybe combined with one another, or some may be omitted and the restcombined, and furthermore other technological elements not described maybe combined.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the overall configuration of an overheadcrane, which is an example of a three-dimensional movement apparatuspertaining to Embodiment 1 made in accordance with principles of thepresently disclosed subject matter;

FIG. 2 is a front view of a winder serving as the lifting device of theoverhead crane of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3( a) is a perspective view of a remote casing portion of amanipulation remote in the three-dimensional movement apparatus of FIG.1, and FIG. 3( b) is a perspective view of the remote casing portion ofa manipulation remote in a three-dimensional movement apparatuspertaining to a modification of Embodiment 1 of the presently disclosedsubject matter;

FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating a control mechanism used in thethree-dimensional movement apparatus of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the overall configuration of an overheadcrane, which is an example of a three-dimensional movement apparatuspertaining to Embodiment 2 made in accordance with principles of thepresently disclosed subject matter;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a manipulation remote used in thethree-dimensional movement apparatus according to Embodiment 2 as shownin FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the overall configuration of an overheadcrane, which is an example of a three-dimensional movement apparatusaccording to Embodiment 3 of the presently disclosed subject matter;

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a manipulation remote used in thethree-dimensional movement apparatus according to Embodiment 3 as shownin FIG. 5;

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a manipulation remote in accordance witha modification of the three-dimensional movement apparatus of Embodiment3 as shown in FIG. 5;

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the overall configuration of anoverhead crane, which is an example of a three-dimensional movementapparatus according to Embodiment 4 of the presently disclosed subjectmatter;

FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a manipulation remote used in thethree-dimensional movement apparatus according to Embodiment 4 shown inFIG. 10;

FIG. 12 is a perspective view of the overall configuration of anoverhead crane, which is an example of a three-dimensional movementapparatus according to Embodiment 5 of the presently disclosed subjectmatter;

FIG. 13( a) is a front view of the overall configuration of a remotecasing of a manipulation remote in the three-dimensional movementapparatus according to Embodiment 5 of the presently disclosed subjectmatter, and FIG. 13( b) is a left side view of the same;

FIG. 14 is a block diagram illustrating the control of the manipulationremote in the three-dimensional movement apparatus according toEmbodiment 5 of the presently disclosed subject matter;

FIG. 15 is a block diagram showing the control mechanism in the overheadcrane serving as the three-dimensional movement apparatus according toEmbodiment 6;

FIG. 16 is a block diagram showing the control mechanism in the overheadcrane serving as the three-dimensional movement apparatus according toEmbodiment 7;

FIGS. 17( a)-(c) are a simplified front view of the overhead craneserving as a three-dimensional movement apparatus according toEmbodiment 8, and close up operational views of rod-like members andconnecting members, respectively;

FIG. 18 is a vertical cross section showing a simplified configurationof a manipulation remote used in an overhead crane serving as thethree-dimensional movement apparatus according to Embodiment 9;

FIG. 19 is a cross section taken along line A-A in FIG. 18;

FIG. 20 is a vertically cut away end view of the manipulation remote ofFIG. 18;

FIGS. 21( a)-(c) include cross sections taken along line B-B in FIG. 20in various operational states;

FIGS. 22( a)-(b) are diagrams illustrating the relationship between thepressing of the push button of the manipulation remote in FIG. 18 andthe direction command;

FIGS. 23( a)-(b) are diagrams illustrating the relationship between thepressing of the push button of the manipulation remote in FIG. 18 andthe direction command;

FIG. 24 is a block diagram of a control mechanism in an overhead craneserving as a three-dimensional movement apparatus according to anembodiment when optical sensors are incorporated into a manipulationremote;

FIG. 25 is a flowchart showing an example of the manipulation of anoverhead crane serving as the three-dimensional movement apparatus inFIG. 24; and

FIG. 26 is a diagram illustrating the computation of the driven voltagespecified by the inverter in the manipulation of an overhead craneserving as the three-dimensional movement apparatus in FIG. 24.

What is claimed is:
 1. A movement manipulation apparatus, comprising: aslender member; a manipulation remote controller disposed at one end ofthe slender member; a casing of a manipulation remote controllerdisposed at one end of the slender member, the casing being rotatablyattached around an axis of a portion of the one end of the slendermember or a rod-like member that constitutes the portion; a signalproduction device, disposed inside the casing, the signal productiondevice configured to produce a signal related to an amount of rotationor a rotational direction of the casing around the axis of the portionof the one end of the slender member or the rod-like member; a movementapparatus, disposed at an other end of the slender member, andconfigured to move a moving body; a drive control apparatus configuredto control drive of the movement apparatus on the basis of the signal;and a transmission device configured to supply, either through a signaltransmission cable or wirelessly, to the drive control apparatus asignal related to an amount of rotation or a rotational direction of thecasing.
 2. The movement manipulation apparatus according to claim 1,wherein the amount of rotation or the rotational direction of the casingis determined with respect to the slender member or determined using theslender member as a reference.
 3. The movement manipulation apparatusaccording to claim 1, wherein the signal is generated according to achange in a distance between: a switching device located at the casingand attached rotatably around the axis of the portion of the one end ofthe slender member or the rod-like member, or a member that works insynchronization with the switching device and a portion of the one endof the slender member disposed inside the casing or an object that isintegral with the portion, or the rod-like member, or an object that isintegral with the rod-like member.
 4. The movement manipulationapparatus according to claim 1, wherein the signal is related to anoutput signal of an optical sensor outputted according to a change in adistance between: a push button located at the casing or a member thatworks in synchronization with the push button and at least one of: aportion of the one end of the slender member disposed inside the casing,a disk that is fixed coaxially with the portion of the one end, therod-like member, and a disk that is that is fixed coaxially with therod-like member.
 5. The movement manipulation apparatus according toclaim 1, wherein the signal is generated according to a change in adistance between: at least one of a switching apparatus located at thecasing and a member that works in synchronization with the switchingapparatus and at least one of a portion of the one end of the slendermember disposed inside the casing, an object that is integral with theportion of the one end, the rod-like member, and an object that isintegral with the rod-like member.
 6. A movement manipulation apparatus,comprising: a slender member that either is a signal transmission cableor is equipped with a signal transmission cable; a casing of amanipulation remote control disposed at one end of the slender member; acasing direction identification device configured to produce a signalrelated to a direction of the casing; and a drive control apparatus thatis disposed at an other end of the slender member and is configured tocontrol movement of a moving body on the basis of the signal, wherein:the direction of the casing is a direction, determined with respect tothe slender member or determined using the slender member as areference, and the signal is supplied, through the signal transmissioncable, from the casing direction identification device to the drivecontrol apparatus.
 7. The movement manipulation apparatus according toclaim 6, wherein the casing is rotatably attached to the slender member.8. The movement manipulation apparatus according to claim 6, furthercomprising: a display configured to display the direction of the casingwith respect to the slender member at a location that is easily visibleby an operator who holds the casing in hand and remotely manipulate themovement of the moving body.
 9. A movement control method formanipulating the movement of a moving body, comprising the steps of:providing a manipulation remote controller, a slender member, and amovement mechanism for moving a moving body, the manipulation remotecontroller being connected toward one end of the slender member andmoveable relative to the slender member, and the movement mechanismbeing connected toward an other end of the slender member; andcontrolling drive of the movement mechanism on the basis of a signalrelated to a direction of a casing of the manipulation remote controllerrelative to the slender member, wherein the direction of the casing is adirection, determined with respect to the slender member or determinedusing the slender member as a reference.
 10. The movement control methodaccording to claim 9, wherein the slender member is bendable andresistant to torsion.
 11. The movement control method according to claim10, wherein the signal is supplied, through a signal transmission cablethat either is the slender member or is disposed within the slendermember, from the manipulation remote controller to a drive controlapparatus that controls the drive of the movement mechanism.
 12. Themovement control method according to claim 9, wherein the casing isrotatably attached to the slender member.
 13. The movement controlmethod according to claim 12, wherein the step of controlling drive ofthe movement mechanism includes a step of rotating the casing relativeto the slender member to change a direction in which the moving body isto be moved.
 14. A movement control method for manipulating the movementof a moving body, comprising the steps of: disposing a manipulationremote controller and a movement mechanism for moving a moving bodyrespectively at one end and an other end of a slender member that iseither is a signal transmission cable or is equipped with a signaltransmission cable; supplying a signal related to a direction of acasing of the manipulation remote controller to a drive controlapparatus and controlling drive of the movement mechanism; and producinga control signal on the basis of the signal in part of the drive controlapparatus, whereby the drive of the movement mechanism is controlled inthe rest of the drive control apparatus on the basis of the controlsignal, wherein the direction of the casing is a direction, determinedwith respect to the slender member or determined using the slendermember as a reference.
 15. A movement control method for manipulatingthe movement of a moving body, comprising the steps of: disposing amanipulation remote controller and a movement mechanism for moving amoving body respectively at one end and an other end of a slendermember; and controlling drive of the movement mechanism on the basis ofa signal related to a direction of a casing of the manipulation remotecontroller, wherein: the casing is rotatably attached to the slendermember, and the direction of the casing is a direction, determined withrespect to the slender member or determined using the slender member asa reference.
 16. The movement control method according to claim 15,wherein the slender member is bendable and resistant to torsion.
 17. Themovement control method according to claim 15, wherein: a plurality ofbuttons are movably supported by the casing; and the step of controllingdrive of the movement mechanism includes a step of moving a first of thebuttons to a first position to cause the movement mechanism to displacethe moving body in the direction in which the moving body is to bemoved.
 18. The movement control method according to claim 17, wherein:the step of controlling drive of the movement mechanism includes a stepof moving the first of the buttons to a second position and thenreleasing the casing while the movement mechanism continues to displacethe moving body in the direction in which the moving body is to bemoved.
 19. The movement control method according to claim 17, wherein:the step of controlling drive of the movement mechanism includes stepsof: moving the first of the buttons to a second position to cause themovement mechanism to continue to displace the moving body in thedirection in which the moving body is to be moved; and disabling inputobtainable from rotating the casing relative to the slender member whenthe one of the buttons is moved to the second position.
 20. The movementcontrol method according to claim 19, wherein: the step of controllingdrive of the movement mechanism includes a step of stopping the movementmechanism when the one of the buttons is moved to a third position.